


Besessenheit

by Vesta_Nyx



Series: Besessenheit [1]
Category: Rammstein, Western European & Related Occult Traditions
Genre: F/M, Immortality, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Inspired by Music, Original Fiction, Poetry, Rape/Non-con Elements, Stalking, Tragic Romance, Vampires, Violent Sex, Warlocks, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2020-11-02 12:08:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 60,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20741105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vesta_Nyx/pseuds/Vesta_Nyx
Summary: They stared at her. Eyes that looked, that mocked and teased her. Eyes  that chased, eyes that wanted, eyes that warned her. Why didn't she listen, why wasn't she paying attention? The signs were there. The signs. Were. there. She should've known better, she should've stayed at the hotel, she shouldn't have went alone.  Now, those eyes leered at her. Peering at her with the confidence of a delighted, fiendish man. Haunting and empty as overcast skies looked  at her  helpless in forced submission indulgent in the  destruction of his  well sought after desire. She was his, and no one else's. She was his, ad no one could take her away from him.      It must have been faith, some kind of universal force outside of god that brought him this gift of serenity. a gift of purity that was  meant to help him, tidings of friendship to cure the overwhelming loneliness when it struck him too deeply. Fluid ties of connection that were once refreshing became chains  that pulled him deeper into the unknown…





	1. 1. Mich

Sound was empty.

Teams of hair and makeup designers, backstage technicians and special effects coordinators paced back and forth in the open air dressing room. A menagerie of voices blending mixing, speaking and shouting. A concoction of accents and dialects that showed the diversity of his mother tongue. Music of a different kind that he couldn't hear, there was a deafness around him a bubble of soundlessness that centered his place in the chaos. The cycle was rearing itself into an anxious awakening. The pulse of the fans, their cheers growing with each moment, slowly swallowing him, creeping from the ground to the sole of his feet. He hated the first song of each concert, how otherworldly and demonic it made him out to be, putting his great height and build to devastating use, and setting the tone for the rest of the show. He looked at the fake lacerations on his biceps and exposed chest, watching his hair become formed into a sinister mo-hawk. They darkened the circles under his eyes, hallowing his already gaunt face, doing nothing for his thin and pursed lips making his grey eyes, all the more dull and haunted. But this was his own doing, a gimmick that was shocking twenty years ago had now become an unwanted persona he had to live with. With each added piece of gimp and leather garments he was seeing less and less of himself. No longer was he a man, no longer was he just a simple musician he was The Tall Man: der Jäger. The Tall Man was a force of nature, the Tall Man is what the people wanted what his fans wanted. He was the rebellious force of masculinity, unbridled and ever consuming. The Tall Man was the center of the world, the Tall Man demanded attention. Outspoken and unabashed,The Tall Man was everything he wasn’t, and everything he wished he could be. Traits that since his youth he could no longer recapture or have since matured from. Pushing his civility down into his subconscious, proud reaching strides thundered onto the stage to a roaring applause of worship:

“großer Mann”  
“großer Mann”  
“großer Mann”  
He greeted their praise with the gusto of expectancy. Commanding their emotions captivated by his music, he was once again youthful and vigorous the object of desire. Dominating the stage and their ever darkening fantasies, each song more ghastly and visceral than the last; until the stage was engulfed in darkness, and the sound drastically changing into a pure industrial sound. morphing and transition into der Jäger for one un-lucky audience member, to partake in his last hunt of the night. The darkness made him alert, the constant rehearsals and exploration of the venue layout made this easy to do. The only hard part was picking one out of the ten VIP ticket holders, but this is what he was made for what excited der Jäger the most. This was the truth of their desires, the need to be sought after, to be dominated and ultimately made into his own image. He had found his prey, standing two rows behind the pits. She was a young woman thin and delicate, with skin that glowed in the under light and eyes that darted around in the darkness. His approach was quick, scooping the feather weight into his arms and carrying her onto the stage:

“Ich habe meine Beute gefunden…”  
He growled into the microphone, a chilling laughter bellowed from his throat causing the silence of the dark stadium to shatter with one sentence. Slowly a red light fades into existence exposing the “captured” young woman. Dressed in a gimp outfit in the guise of black bunny she was standing with her arms scaffolding above her, not too high to dislocate, but not too low as to let her escape on her own or hurt herself. The bunny mask she wore obscured her face, hiding everything about her except for her lips. They remained exposed, pink and trembling with anticipation. sensing the touch of the cold, knife on her lips faking the fear he desired her to feel. She was enjoying this too much for him to call this a success. But the show must go on and for appearances, the audience needed to feel that it was real.  
“Und nun...Ich behaupte es!”  
The audience don't see the harness attached to the young woman's body, on command she is hoisted up into a makeshift shrine filled with the bodies of his previous hunts as the last song of the night is played. The audience fades into the eventual silence, only the echo of their cheers remaining as he stands in the limelight basking in the glory of their ignorance and idolization. Even after all this time, if he tired of everything else, the adoration of his fans would be enough to keep him going, even if it was only for a persona or two. Just as it was a process to become The Tall Man and der Jäger it was an even longer to get rid of them, especially the overbearing nature of der Jäger. Where the Tall Man was everything he wanted to be der Jäger was everything he truly was. der Jäger was the darkness of himself that he couldnt get rid of. Even as he washed the makeup of The Tall Man away der Jäger would always be left behind. He remained in his gaze blankly looking back at him as he looked at himself in the mirror. Mimicking him as he dried off his hair and skin. His hands ran down his face with exhausted breath. Rubbing away the last traces of eye liner, and sinking in the chair in the dressing room that was deathly empty. A pale white glow of the vanity mirror highlighted every pore and wrinkle on his skin, paired the greying and silver roots of his dark brown hair. showing the truth of his age to him despite being the best of health and taking otherwise good care of himself. He was not immune to the effects of age, and could see the sneers of the Tall Man and der Jäger looking back at him with the visage of his former youth. His face in his prime no longer gaunt and tired, mocking him silently with his twisted eyes watching him back. He hated that look, that arrogance of a time he will never see again.

“Herr Sandma...Herr Sandmann?”  
With one look the illusion was gone and his own current form was all that remained for him to see. He looked over his shoulder, to see his publicist a mousy,bookish little woman, who plain of looks and seemed to be much older than she cared to admit. 

“Sie sind bereit. Herr Sandmann.”

He nodded silently and began to dress himself all the while she went about the rest of his schedule for the night. Once again the silence consumed him in its comfort, allowing him to go with the motions, mindlessly smiling and signing posters, CD's, and any surface the fans could think off. Taking pictures with them and speaking with the seconds at time. This was by far the biggest concert of the tour, and even though there were only ten VIP tickets; more than twenty people showed up for the signing. Much to Sandmanns irritation he continued with the facade slowly becoming more and more irritable as there seemed to be no end in sight.

“Nur noch ein paar, wir sind fast fertig.”

She assured him that it was almost over, unsure if he was to trust her, he straightened up to look over the line of people, trying to understand what was her idea of a few people. His band-mates have long since finished up and left without him, leaving the ever popular Tall Man und der Jäger to handle his fans alone. His hand was going numb, and his signature was becoming illegible but worse yet his patience was running dangerously thin, with the toll of the show weighing heavily on him. Three more people had came and went content and happy with their commemorative photos and autographs with one last giddy woman petting the top of her left breast for a signature.  
Finally it was over.  
He closed his eyes to his publicist shooing away bystanders and random fans, In these quiet moments he enjoyed collecting his thoughts. He thought of taking a walk in the forest near his home, musing on how beautiful the moon would be on such a night and the solitude he could enjoy a quiet moment or two to himself.

Entschuldigung...Entschuldigung Herr Sandmann”

The thought was shattered and his anger was about to boil over. Another fan overstepping their boundaries just to get a glimpse of the infamous Tall Man. his eyes flashed open ready to give what the fan an unfortunate display of the Tall Man’s sadistic humor. Yet to his surprise it wasn't his average fan, or even the run of the mill super-fan that was calling to him but the round face of someone completely normal and dressed for the weather.


	2. Sie

“Ich will dich nicht stören, Es gab eine lange Wartezeit”

“ Entschuldigung Herr Sandmann”

A soft voice whispered over to him as he took another look. Lingering his stare on the young woman longer than permitted, she was out of place to say the least. Whatever angst he was feeling, whatever irritation that plagued him, was no longer there. Looking into her eyes, warded away any ill intent he had initially planned. There was something soothing about her gaze, something that was welcoming and familiar. He could lose himself in those earthy irises that pulled him into her round baby face and winter bitten cheeks. Cheeks that turned into a genuine and soft smile to break the awkward tension between them.

“Herr Sandmann?” She asked him once more, with a bit of concern looking at the tired expression on his face. 

with her voice becoming a tad bit higher in its soft tone, once more his piercing grey eyes focused on her. Paying closer attention to her voice, he noted a difference in her strange accent he assumed to he Hessian.

“Mach dir keine Sorgen...Woher kommen Sie?”  
“Stensia”  
“Stensia? Sie kommen aus Stensia?”  
“Ja, du glaubst mir nicht?”

He looked at her for a moment the bite of the cold finally leaving her face enough for her to take the scarf from around her head. Warm brown skin that reminded him of raw sugar matched her welcoming brown eyes and dark, chestnut brown hair tied back in a low and somewhat messy bun. Looking nothing like any Stensian he had seen before he thought about pressing the question further, his curiosity getting the better of him

“Ich war schon eine Weile nicht mehr dort.”  
“nichts hat sich verändert, Es ist immer noch der gleiche Ort.”

It took him this long to figure that she was not holding anything for him to sign. She had no CD, no poster, no old sweat t-shirt and barley showed any skin. Looking more like a college student than a fan of his band or music, she rummaged through a small satchel that hung over her shoulder, pulling out a black book and two small chain purses.

“Ich weiß, dass du es nicht tust...aber könntest du das bitte unterschreiben?” 

Once more, he couldn’t focus on what she was saying, mesmerized by the way the words flowed up and down. How her lips curled with each syllable she spoke softening in a dialect he couldn't quite understand. it was a refreshing change of aesthetics to see seasonal clothing, paired with a naturally beautiful face. There was purpose with her movements as she had no desire to keep him, or delay anytime with useless and awkward dialogue. To this he stayed off his publicist, giving her a look to leave the young woman alone, noticing the growing worry behind her glasses covered eyes. She turned the pages as if looking for something, taking quick moments to read a sentence or too. Her brow furrowed each time she didn't find what she was looking. unaware of the faces she was making, her actions amused him while he stole glances of her; until she found the page she was looking for.

“hier bitte” she pointed to a space between the title and where the writing began bringing an amusing, and triumphant smile to her face. 

“und das ist für?”  
“Mien papa Edgar.” 

She didn't say anything else after that, remaining quiet and waiting patiently for him to finish. Not wanting to take up any more of his time, she was quite embarrassed to have missed the whole concert entirely. After all the time and money her friend spent to get her the VIP ticket it was just her luck that the trains were running late and her professor took longer than usual to go over her assignment.

She was certain that she was going to miss the meet and greet too. Running as fast as she could from the train station to the stadium the snow and wind beat against her face, determined to get the one thing she came for done. 

Finding it by the grace of god that she bumped into his publicist by chance, and worked her given charm. Her natural talent allowed her to explain what has happened, a little influence a to get her through the velvet ropes to ber goal. Yet his tired eyes and slumped expression disturbed her. His aura was beyond tired, not alive but not close to death either. His bones and muscles screamed for it to be over as Exhausted long breathed heavy breaths. She almost didn't want to bother. Her hand gripping the black book on her bag. He father wouldn't mind, he wouldn't even notice it was signed. One out of a trilogy of tomes dedicated to poetry: all of which belonged to the Famed Herr Sandmann. a treasured collection tucked away behind a class case, unused and untouched in over a decade. the only musical writer her father could tolerate to read. Yet as she watched him sign the book she saw how careful he was with the material. Watching as his fingers commanded the pen with such care. Tediously signing his name over the soft, aged pages his hand mirroring the subtle dents on the corners of the pages. For a brief moment she saw her father in his place, sitting in his favorite chair accompanied by dull candlelight. His stern eyes flowing over the words he had read so many times before what she assumed to be his favorite poem.

"zu Papa Edgar und ... und wie heißt du?"  
Sandmann looked to the young woman with her brown gaze looking back at him with overt confusion. Motioning her to answer the question while the pen was still in his hand.

"Nein, nein danke Papa Edgar geht es gut."  
She waved her hand, shooing his fingers away from the treasured book as she carefully leaned over the table and fanned the wet ink. she still had the scent of winter in her clothes, with hints of the bitter weather clinging to the woolen cap that swallowed her hair. "er wird es lieben. Dankeschön." The ink was just about dried, in a few more moments The interaction would end, and the young woman would disappear from his life. This was by far the most pleasant experience of his night. Spending but a few passing moments with a good natured and dutiful young woman. He wanted to know more.about her, picking up on the smaller details of her person. From the design of her satchel to.the blink of a necklace hidden under the folds of her scarf. Moving fast to beat her next train the young woman buttoned up her coat and placed on her fingerless gloves, leaving the black book to be packed last.

"warte, warte einen Moment!" A sudden overbearing voice called the young woman's attention as she looked directly at the publicist, forgetting to place her book in her bag.. Taking note of her short stature a d plan clothes, she would've been mistaken for a professor any other time. 

"willst du kein bild?" She asked holding her smartphone, clearly more surprised at how normal the young woman looked, compared to any other fan. she had never before personally asked to take the picture herself, often leaving Sandmann to handle the slew of selfies and harassment on his own. But this was different, there was a joy about her as she went about working the young woman. Pleasing with her seniority to strong arm her into a picture she was hesitant to be in.

"nur ein bild?" The young woman asked with her nerves getting the best of her. Her brow furrowed so subtly pairing with the pensive shine of her eyes that matched the uncertainty in her lips so perfectly. An exquisite expression of motionless compliance covered the young woman's face as she stood next to Sandmann. "näher beieinander stehen" she made the guested for the young woman to stand closer to Sandmann feeling his large hands weigh down on her right shoulder. They stood in the awkward pose for two more shots before the publicist was satisfied, smiling warmly and showing the latter the picture.

"schön, willst du eine Kopie?"  
She turned to ask the young woman only for her to have made her way to the other side of the room, exiting the venue all together. "wohin geht sie? Die Züge fahren nirgendwo hin" she was surprised and flustered at how fast the young woman was walking and looked at Sandmann with an irritated glare.

"Du hast sie nicht aufgehalten?"  
"Warum?"

Sandmann looked on at the path the young woman took, trying his best to commit her likeness to memory. Dreading the thought that she was gone, now a nameless face in his mind. He sat back down again with his grey eyes saddening at the present past when something interesting caught his eye. There, still sitting on the table was the black book of his poems, the copy he signed for the young woman's father. Both surprised and elated he took the book in his hand, examining the well worn pages. It wasn't until he flipped to the back of the book that something grabbed his attention; as a collection of faded letters spelled out the name:

E.E. Markov

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there wont be much in the way for notes on this second chapter except to clear up some dialogue and narrative inquiry
> 
> one: i don't know much about the lead singer of Rammstien; mostly on purpose since the main male lead is his own person, and an embodiment of what Till Lindemann can represent. i figured this would make for a more organic and compelling story, that gives me the freedom i need.
> 
> second: the dialogue will be strictly in German (mostly in high German grammar.) with the dialects and other language quirks explain through context. also i will be including the provinces and cities of Innistrad into this fan fiction. in case you don't know Innistrad is a plane of existence in the Magic the Gathering lore that is based heavily in 16th century Germany so if some provinces don't sound familiar, that is why.
> 
> thrid: i don't have word doc. so if there are grammatical issues, please be kind this girl is broke atm


	3. Schicksal

There was that dream again. 

His face was planted firmly against Pete moss, fingers slowly coming to life against the wet grass. His head was spinning, swaying his vision to and fro as if waking from a groggy slumber. The mist was rising, the sun was setting and soon the creatures of the night would awaken, traversing through his lands and trespassing over his territories, missing of the days of old when man used to fear him above all else. He deeply mused the memories, lamenting over the infringement of his properties by the likes of THEM. he hated them with a passion, loathed them in all their decadence and hypocrisy. How they moved so effortlessly into the fold of their prey taking what they wanted… killing what they wanted. They faced no punishment, no retribution as he did from the likes of their shared prey. Only by the fleeting whispers and warnings of doom passed around on quiet corners. They mocked his existence, making him nothing more than a lowly bogeyman. A figment of imagination, a fictitious danger that they prey used to scare their children. But fate was showing him favor, gifting him a messenger that had lost his way; a servant for the likes of THEM with no aid and no protections. He made slow work of him, lashing out all his anger on the poor creature. So much so that nothing but his limbs and pieces of his viscera remained. With the fading lights of day his blood caked fingers rummaged through what was left of his coach man's coat; hoping to find something of use. Angry that the fool carried nothing with him, no means of self preservation or protections. He spat at the husk, tossing the carcass aside to be done with it when something caught his attention. A sound he had missed, a detail he failed to recall the night before. The weight of something precious to be delivered. The servant was a carrier, a messenger toting items of great value. This wasn't the first time he had happened across a lone courier or two within his forest, as any other time he would discard human attachments. Yet this was different, and THEY were not human. He cleared the package of the blood and gore, tucking it under his arm. Slinking away into the foggy autumn night and into the blinding light of an overcast morning.  
He blinked a few times to make sure he was awake, rubbing his face to know he was himself. Lying in bed he waited for his heartbeat to slow down, controlling his breath and quieting his mind.

"es war nur ein Traum"  
he told himself over and over again. With his dreams becoming more real and blurred with reality, he was in no capacity to do anything. He reached his long arms over to feel for his medication, rummaging around for the familiar bottle, giving it a repetitive shake. The bottle was empty. He shook it once more, verifying the startling reality that he had ran out of medication early. This was the second time this season he took more than he needed. His teeth gritted with agitation that his psychiatrist didn't believe that his nightmares were getting worse. He had to get out of bed at this point, and with his phone in hand his pale blue eyes scanned his calendar for the next appointment which wasn't for another three weeks.

"Scheiße…"  
His phone was stressing under the pressure of his grip. Thick callused finger that wrapped around the thin smartphone, cracking the screen protector underneath. He dreaded the idea of calling his manager, deciding instead to email her about his late minute cancellation. Leaving his phone behind he finally climbed out of bed. His pajama bottom nearly hung from his hips revealing his still solid body. He wasn't as rugged and cut as in his younger years, gaining more mass as the years went on. Yet despite his middle age, he was still a picture of masculine appeal. He opened the windows of his suite, showing a clear view of the bustling city he lived in. and the forest that followed. A contrast of safety and the unknown that pricked his curiosity.

He didn't have time to linger. As the clock ticked closer and closer to the pick-up time he had to act fast. Typing away in a quick flurry of words, explaining the circumstances behind the turn of ill health. He leaned back into his chair waiting for her response staring into the white ceiling of his hotel room. The shadows of the sunlight reached over towards the computer desk on the other side of the room guiding his sight to the Black Book. The book remained propped on the table from the night before unopened since he signed the book. Replaying the memory over in his mind again pausing at the moment they stood for the picture. She smelled of winter roses, mixed in with a natural untouched scent. a subdued richness that was uniquely her own matching her earthy features. He wanted to see her again. He needed to see her again. There was a deep wanting he couldn't understand, a suffocating feeling writhing in his chest. The room was closing in on him, the wall vibrating in a nightmarish tremble. Breaking as if the walls would crash upon him. He needed to get out. Without a second thought, he quickly dressed himself in casual clothes, his hair still wet from the sweat of his previous night terror. The sensation followed him, a pending darkness chasing after him with deep foreboding feeling. Stalking him as he went down the hall, down the stairs and past the front desk. From there his pace did not slow down, he kept his manic escape out the front door, down the street and into the streets of Stuttgart. The cold air seemed to do him some good, calming the migraine that was bubbling in his mind. if there was a time he needed the medication it would've been now. Despite how the winter air was soothing him, the after-effects remained seeing the outlines of all the people that passed him by. No matter what they looked like, or how old they were, the rings around them remained the same. A blurred halo of red and black that outlined their every move becoming more vibrant with the person’s age. He needed a distraction. Something to get his mind from his migraine, a distraction from the pain. Finding a spot in a nearby park, he took a seat on a stone bench staring into the line of trees before him. He counted backwards from ten to one; The bark darkened and the skies went black. The mist rose from the humid ground and the sounds of the city ceased to exist, He looked down at the ground finding the face of his victim looking back at him with eyes still frozen with fear. From the mauled surface of his ripped off head down to what was left of his torso. He took his time looking at every detail of this crime, finding a sick motion of pride for his work. He wished to ignore it, and wanted to look away, still he looked unable to part from the morbid masterpiece. Clawed, blackened fingers reached and rummaged through the victims clothes, looting for something. There wasn't a clear idea of what he was looking for or even why he was bothering to look. All he could feel was the cold of a passing adrenaline rush and the boredom that followed, tossing a limb into the darkness the head that sound again. Clearer now than it was in the dream, he followed the micro vibrations of the sound until he came to its source. Wrapped in black silk, the brutish claws tenderly unwrapped the precious cargo. It was a wooden box made out of lacquered cherry wood, shimmering in the full moon light. Holding the box the hands rubbed the thumb over the latch and lock, wiping away the gore and mud until the engraving of a crest came into view. The rolling of thunder bellowed beyond the mountains a storm was coming, and the need to find shelter trumped hiding his crime. The pouring rain would mask the scent of blood, the stream of rushing water would carry the body into the earth. Nature would aid in the long run if he left the body alone, but not the box. The box had to stay with him. Tucked under his arm he couldn’t bring himself to part with it the curiosity was too much to leave it behind. As much as he wanted to stay, his physical form would bring him back, leaving the mystery of the box in dream in favor of one more grounded in reality. He pat down his coat, more relieved that the book was in his inner pocket than the shock of not having his cell phone on him. So long as he had this book, he would find her again. He took in the sites of the city, a perfect blend of historical tradition with modern highlights. Even as it rained it did nothing to dull the humble charm of the beauty of the city. However deep down he couldn't enjoy the fruits of his time alone, not with such a heavy little burden on his person. It begin to creep into his mind the daunting tasking of finding just one person. He didn't even know her name, only going off by the distinct look of her face and the way she stood out from the crowd. Amidst his musing he happened to look down by chance. If he had looked too soon, or turned around too late, he would have missed it. Standing under the overhead of the subway exit, she glanced between the pouring rain and her bag rummaging through to find an umbrella she clearly didn't have. She stood out the way of the foot traffic guarding a small case between her heeled feet. Taking his time to steal a glance, his eyes lingered from her five inch heels to her smooth, light brown legs. Stopping just above the knee was the soft muted pink of a sweater dress with quarter sleeves, hugging the womanly curves of her youthful body. The collar of her dress was folded over her chest, hinting at but not giving away the truth of their size. Her neck and face were smooth and soft, shining and glowing as if she had spent all day in a sunny place as big brown eyes focused on the task at hand. Without missing a beat, she tucked her bag firmly over her shoulder, and lifted the thin jacket over her head with one hand, holding the leather case in the other. It was now or never, with such a perfect opportunity that wouldn't happen again. With his body moving on its own he sprinted across the street over to her watching as she became more vivid with each stride. But the rain was coming down harder, her shoes were not made for the weather with her ankles buckling over the slick cobblestones. She managed to collect herself once and began to walk more carefully not once slowing her stride. All it took was one misstep, one loose stone latched onto the heel of her shoe breaking and causing her to lose her footing. She braced herself to hit the pavement, expecting to feel the cold, and dirty water of the puddles that collected on the sidewalk. Though she felt something hard against her, it wasn't the stone and brick she was expecting, but the strong and burly arms of a man. 

"Vorsichtig!"  
Her fingers grabbed his arms on instinct. Using his taller body as a means to balance herself a d catch her breath. She didn't realize how sore her legs were or how hard she was walking from the station. More upset that she wasn't paying attention and broke her favorite shoes. Her fingers gripped her leather case tightly relieved that it didn't drop upon the ground.  
"Es tut mir Leid, Ich habe nicht aufgepasst?" She spoke, finally looking up to her savior. Eyes growing wide to see the lead singer of the band looking at her, the same man that had signed the book of poems for her. His eyes were blue with hints of grey in them starkly gazing at her from the tresses of his black hair, more relaxed and soaked from the rain. 

"du bist es.."

The gaze of wonder in her eyes made his heart skip a beat. Not the starstruck blindness of meeting a superstar, but the gratitude of seeing someone slightly familiar in the nick of time to save her. Just as he imagined she was real, and more beautiful up close. Closer than they were taking the picture the other day, and close enough to see the droplets of rain soaking through her thin jacket. It dampened her hair and threatened to ruin her dress with his lips pursing in dissatisfaction. 

"Hier, benutze meinen Mantel." He moved to take off his coat offering it to her. Just as the night they met she refused his gesture politely. Looking at the clock on her watch.  
"Ich kann nicht ... es ist dein Mantel." The look of worry overwhelmed her face as she struggled to gather her bearings. Taking a moment to stand on her own. Only for her legs to give way, with a sharp pain in her ankle. 

"du bist hartnäckig, lass mich dir helfen."  
The Kölsch of his accent peeked through his words. A deep baritone that shook her bones in a way that demanded her obedience. Her lips parted to speak in defiance, she knew what she wanted to say to him but the words refused to speak. She simply didn't move as he took off his coat and placed it over her own, moving not a finger when he reached for her case and offered his arm to her.

"Wohin gehen wir?"  
"der Konzertsaal.."  
"Konzertsaal, du bist ein musiker?" His voice had a laughter to him as she looked at him with the same soft indentation.  
"du glaubst mir nicht?" 

She stopped at the foot of the stairs leading to the front of the Concert Hall. The smile of her face was gone and in its place was the look all women give men who say stupid things and stupid moments. He didn't know what to say but remained stoned face, as the two of them stared each other down in mutual silence, waiting to see who would break first. But her compassion got the better of her as the rain continued to downpour. His clothes now nearly see through.

"Komm rein, du wirst krank wenn du es nicht tust" 

Her voice softened once again, a timbre of tenderness floating from her lips as she took back her things and quickly walked up the stairs to entrance. feeling his arm support her as they carefully and slowly made their way to the concert hall. The young woman felt embarrassed walking beside him. Knowing at any moment someone could recognize him with a horde of people to follow. But perhaps she was overthinking things, without the theatrics and stage makeup he looked like the average man; with strong features a traditionally handsome man. Once inside they saw that the Hall was relatively empty, say for one lone person sweeping the main entrance way with the double doors already open the the main venue.

"Scheiße, ich bin zu spät!" 

Quickly she kicked off her heels, revealing her short height. With vigor she rummages through her bag, picking up a block of resin and taking her leather case from him. "warte auf mich. Im Hintergrund ist es wärmer. Sie können dort abtrocknen." She spoke too fast for him to understand exactly what she was saying,leaving him behind before he could ask. She rushed through the double doors catching a glimpse of an orchestra preparing for rehearsal. She had asked him to wait that much he was sure of, but he couldn't catch where and didn't see anyone to stop him from going inside. He took a seat where his height wouldn't give him away, picking the row that had the best view of the would be concert. The others were dressed in a similar fashion of smart casual, noticing that the woman wore dresses and skirts of similar style and color; ankle length and black. All but the only young woman dressed in pink. She didn't interact with her peers outside of greeting them with a polite and polished smile doing her best to set up her violin and sheet music.

"Frau Markova."  
The conductors voice ring rich with a High German accent. Calling everyone's attention to the front. He was short portly man, bald at the crown of his hair, with clouds of white surrounding the waxed skin. His attire was something that a old man would wear, a rather decorative winter sweater over a dress shit, paired with tan colored pants. the rest of her peers grew quiet as he walked up to her, relishing in the possibility of her being reprimanded. 

"You are late, Die Noten würden weinen."  
"My apologies. It won't happen again."

He looked her up and down, taking great notice to her feet and legs. They looked red from a block or two of hard running, a slight welt where the mouth of the shoe would be. Even her clothes had hints of rain on them and small bead of sweat on her skin. Though she may have looked perfect on the surface, He could see the effort made to make it on time. 

"Places everyone. Frau Markova erster Stuhl bitte." The whole of the string section of the orchestra filed into their seats as she took the center as first chair. The chorus of tuning and their bows began to fill the empty acoustics of the hall before the silent anticipation of the music to be played. The soft build up opened the way for her playing to take center stage. With eyes closed she played the lead violin, her fingers pressing each note with practiced dedication and expert command. A command that was shown in the trills of the violin and balance of her strumming. He sat through the first half of the sonata captivated by her playing of the music. 

"Du hast Mich. Hessischen"

He sat back, watching the entirety of the rehearsal. He was impressed with how skilled everyone was. from the violinist and cellist to the quartet of violins supporting the young woman he now knew as Frau Markova. He couldn't imagine such a youthful young woman having an old-world family name. "Daughter of Markov" he mused over the discovery of her name realizing that it was mostly a show of title. He was no closer to figure out who she was by sitting in the shadows. As much as he wanted to stay and see it to the end, he had to leave the rehearsal behind. What was he doing there? He had no real reason to be there, had other obligations that were abandoned altogether. And for what, The off chance that he would come across a nameless face he had only met once? He didn't want to think about how much his manager would yell at him, or what his band-mates would think of him chasing after a woman who was much younger than he cared to admit. He looked for his coat as it hung beside hers to dry rooting through the pockets to see that the book had remained in pristine condition, with not a damp spot in sight or signs of stress. Sandmann exhaled a sigh of relief, cradling the book on his hand. Never had such a small thing weighed so much to him. The only thing that would remind him that she was real, the only token that she wasn’t just a figment of his twisted imaginings. He had found the young woman and now he had to properly return the book to her and end their interaction severing the link between them for good. 

"das ist genug”

He found a pen and a piece of paper and began to write: thanking her for the pleasant interactions and wishing her best for the rehearsal and the concert to come. He had a chance to see her again, to interact with someone so blissfully open. She didn't seem to care or notice that he was Till Sandmann, seeing him just as a man, albeit a man that seemed to keep following her wherever she went. There was an absence of the aura of a mindless follower he had come to expect after all these years. So much so that before he even saw he, he assumed that she would be just like the others. No sooner had she opened her mouth did he realize how wrong he was. He had forgotten that normal people lived in this world. People who valued your time, and saw you as their equal. Not once had she assumed him to be anything more than a man. So free in her interactions with him, so comfortable as to show her agitation when needed, and showed her vulnerability so candidly. 

“das ist genug, oder?"

He had made up his mind to walk away. When she couldn't see him, when there wasn't a chance to say good-bye he would slip away into the streets of Stuttgart never to be seen of her again. His wish had been answered, he had gotten what he wanted, didn't he? As if to call him out on his bluff a violent fit of coughing came over him. Pushing down the lie he was trying to tell himself deeper into his throat. Forcing him to be honest with himself, his breath was caught in the middle, shredding and ripping at his vocal chords, desperate for some water to soothe the pain. He didn't know how long the fit lasted, taking small moments to look at himself in the mirror, seeing how red his eyes were getting and the disheveled look on his face. Looking like he was on the brink of deaths door from a bad drug trip. 

"das ist genug!”

He glared at himself in the mirror, staring his darker flection down as it laughed at him with silent parted lips decayed and missing a lower jaw. His sclera was black giving an eldritch contrast to the white iris; with skin so translucent he could see his blood pumping through his veins. A ghastly vision of what he would look like as a walking corpse

“reicht es dir, sandmann” it’s voice sickened him, rhapsody and uneven in pitch and tone, a darker version of his Kolsch dialect. There was laughter in the way he spoke, a morbid jouviance about him that delighted in seeing him suffer. Watching as another coughing fit came over him, wheezing so hard that he felt the taste of blood on the back of his tongue, he cackled and laughed at his suffering the blood and saliva drooled down the gaping wound of his missing jaw.

“Sie da...Sie da, Was machst du hier?” he couldn't recognize the voice with his hearing comprised from the stress of coughing so hard. Turning around only to see her walking over to him with quickened steps and a concerned wrinkled her brow.

“Was machst du, du solltest nicht hier sein!”

Her voice sounded irritated, only picking up every other word that was spoken. Glaring at him as if he invaded her personal space, intruding without permission. Without knowing he had found himself in the women’s powder room, failing to see the subtle details or the powder room sign itself. Till looked around, groaning in agitation at the mistake he made. All he wanted was to leave her book behind, to be done with their meeting and go on with his life. But the more he doubled down the harsher the coughing became, forcing him to lose his footing and lean against the shelf. She caught him this time her voice changing to a softer pitch as she helped him into the nearby chair. There was little protest as he watched her reach out for him. Her fingers smoothing out the lines on his face with her cool and easing touch. 

“es geht mir gut...” He closed his eyes as she checked for a fever. She smelled so good, standing close enough to smell her sweet scent. Her hands were so soft, cradling him with the same nurturing a mother would give to a child she loved. Her affection was real, her gentleness was genuine washing away any slight he had earned at that moment. “Ich kann dich nicht gehen lassen, wenn du es nicht tust....Bitte” she dried his head with a towel carefully, kindly drying his tresses, wiping the water and sweat from his brow, clearing away the tears from his cheeks. Her focused eyes shimmered as obsidian in the dull light of the room, a halo of mood setting light shone from the side of her face as she tilted it ever so slightly. He could have her if he dared. His arms could wrap around her waist enveloping her wide hips. clasping her in his embrace Till could lose himself indulging in this selfish desire, at the cost of her kindness. Right there, right now he could risk everything for one moment of pleasure.

“Lass mich gehen”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> third chapter going on strong, i'm so excited to have made it this far. and now that i have my note system in order. it should be easier to introduce the occult/magical elements into the story in the form of dream sequences and inner thoughts of the main lead Till. i didn't get the chance to go into who THEM are as referenced int he first few paragraphs of the chapter, (as the narrative took a more Till and Frau Markova path than i realized.) 
> 
> i believe in the next two chapters i will be explaining who them are and what Till's dreams are leading up to.  
next chapter will be all about name reveals, so i can but these damn third person nouns to rest. and focus more on REAL interactions, you know the ones we all came to read about... hint hint.
> 
> i do apologize for the hint at a sexual relationship and the hint alone. don't worry, its coming. just that sometimes things need a slow build up to be appreciated is all.  
so don't fret, and enjoy the ride
> 
> *some of the characters will be speaking English as the story moves forward but it wont be a lot or as much, and i wont have it overshadow the dialog between Till and Frau Markova.*


	4. Vöglein .4

The softness of feathers tickled the surface of his fingertips, pulling her body against his own, making her lean against the edge of chair securely between his legs. His hands fitted firmly on the small of her waist feeling her shudder at his mercy. Never had the curves of a woman fit him so perfectly until now capturing her soft mounds and valleys in his ironclad grip. 

"Du hättest mir nicht vertrauen sollen." He tilted his head curiously, making note of every exquisite detail her face made. The gentle compassion was replaced by sudden fear, and the primal need to escape. She was a trapped animal in a vice, silently howling for someone to help, shaking and shuddering at his mercy, with his fingers caressing the length of her spine forms the base of her neck down to the edge of the hem.

“Was machst du jetzt Vöglein?” she felt the sharp twist and pull of her hair in his grip, a small yelp a reward for his actions. Heavy guttural breaths beard down on the exposed brown skin, smooth soft and smelling of fauna and coconut. Pulling her deeper with each frightened breath she took, growling in anticipation of what meat she could possibly taste like. His lips inched closer, hovering over virgin flesh with free fingers reaching, and cupping under her rear. His touch explored the texture of her skin and the fabric of her dress slipping under her intimates and gripped her tightly, making her squirm, as little feathers began to fall upon the dressing room floor. 

“Please…”  
She whimpered, a once calm and serene German was replaced by a variation of american English he hadn't heard before. Begging between the involuntary moans his petting caused. She whined with the essence of a scared animal firmly placing her hands over his chest. She didn't fight against him the way he expected, choosing to give him small prizes as a distraction to what he really wanted. He never wanted anyone as much as he desired her, to be her first and only. Relenting his jagged teeth into the soft flesh of her neck and shoulder, she keeled over entrapped in his arms, with fingernails digging into his biceps, the pain too much for her to even scream. He would teach her to deny him, she will learn to be a good pet tasting as good as he imagined her to be. His tongue licked and savored the bruised wound on her shoulder, with her silent wails forming into quiet sobs. as her dress of features fell piece by piece onto the floor.

“Please let me go… ill give you anything.” she pleaded with him sinking onto her knees, sitting between his legs and staring into his red eyes trying to break through to him. She didn't notice her blood dripping from the corners of his mouth, staining his white skin. How torn her dress had become revealing her half naked body to his mercy. Her last effort to appeal to him did nothing but feed his ego, gazing at his blank canvas that dared to bargain with him. He said nothing to answer her and gave no hint of an answer at first. Only leering at her lips and her compromising position, he reached down to her and forced her to look at him, his massive grip threatening to pull a handful of her tresses from her head. Reveling in the sensation of her tears pooling at her breast, grinning while pushing her head down onto his lap.

“keine Zähne Vöglein” the feathers continued to fall, slowly turning black as he tilted his head back in titillation. Grimy fingers laced and pulled at her hair, jagged fangs gritted and grinded together enjoying the spoils of his victory.

“Vöglein… Vöglein”  
He bellowed his pleasures. Moaning her name over and over again

“Vöglein”  
“Vöglein”  
“Vöglein”

This was the feeling he was looking for, the taste he sought after. Plunging her deep into his lap he gripped the back of her head pulling out her hair in visceral clumps of skin and flesh, tasting the gore with each handful he pushed down his throat. Sweeter than wine, heartier than brott his tongue relished in her flavor craving the taste of her brand of iron, curious to know what else she could compare to, he gorged on her body munching on marrow and eating away at her essence. Each bite more filling than the last.

He choked on his breath, eyes startled open form the shock of his nightmare. His body was shaking and drenched in cold sweat with his heart and lung refusing to calm down on their own. Sitting up in his bed he leaned against the headboard, and began to count backwards from ten to one. The sun had barely peeked from the early morning sky as he nightmare woke him five hours earlier than normal. He patted his face again to make sure he was awake, turning on the light to look in the mirror relieved to see his familiar grey eyes looking back at him, relieved to see that he was still himself.   
With his mind still recalling he look through his medicine cabinet trying to find the medication for his nightmares. He took two blue pills of his medication slumping over his bathroom sink. This had been the third nightmare this week with der Jäger taking over. The third time he had consumed the nameless young woman. It disturbed him to have such a dream even more so to gave it more than once in a week. But with no desire to go back to sleep he turned the light off from the bathroom and took one last look at his bed. He saw that Nina was still asleep despite his violent awakening. Her blonde hair circled about her head as clouds of gold with wisps of black woven in between. She was a picturesque woman of Nordic descent, that favored Gothic beauty tall and fierce. She had been a muse for Till these past two years, bringing forth the flow of creativity through the sex of her body. Through her, he was able to write the songs he needed for his last album and even a few for the next one yet to be made. Yet, there was one song he wished he never penned one collection of writing he wished never saw the light of day. With a drink in hand Till walled over to his writing desk in the next room turning on the dim light and pushing open the top of his desk. There was a collection of pens, pencils and ink wells that were welled used, with a pile of thicker paper that could handle the calligraphy and the heavy hand of his writing. He had kept a copy of these writings, having the sixth sense that Nina would let his manager get them despite his protests not to. He still hated her for that despite his works birthing him a number one hit and the budget needed for the accompanying music video.

Vöglein

He stared at the title of this makeshift book hesitant to even look beyond the title, knowing exactly what was in store for him. With a hard swallow of liquor, he opened the pages of the would be book; skimming through the various pages of poems and dreams he had written down, dreams about Her and his deepest desires. He had hoped that by writing his dreams down, his mind would be rid of his wants. It had done well for his other vices, in the past and had so far kept der Jäger under control. Pacifying the persona with nightly sex and constant shows. Perhaps if he was too tired, his mind would shut down all thoughts of her. If he was sleeping with someone, he wouldn't want her: His Hessichen, his "little Bird." For two years he had done this and for two years he could want for nothing, breathing easy now that his lust for the young woman was apparently gone. But he shouldn't have trusted Nina. He had grown too comfortable with her to calm, too relaxed. He had left his book unattended around her, and in her aloofness allowed his manager to see his secret. He didn't have the heart to tell her no, he couldn't fight her that this was the last song they needed. She was never wrong and he was stuck between a rock and a hard place And had no choice but to relent his writing. With his pen in hand, and his dream still fresh in his mind his hand took over and began to write:

Obsidian gems that burned in the fire.  
Winter embers engulfed my tongue.  
You smell so good when you are afraid.  
You smell so good when you're in my hands.  
Fill me with your flesh  
Love me with your body  
I do not want you for the moment   
I wish to keep you, all of mine.  
Vöglein

He saw her face. Her large eyes fluttered with a halo of feathers that crowned her brow. So round and innocent cradled in his hands. Running his thumbs over her lips softly caressing her plump cheeks. He wiped the blood and tears away tenderly, and sweetly. Whispering soothing words in the space around her, hoping to stop her crying.

"All of mine, Vöglein."

For the rest of the morning and into the daylight he continued to write at his desk. He didn't hear Nina awaken and get ready for her day, as she assumed that he was already gone. In his solitude he Completely missed his alarm and a few phone calls from his manager once from being captive by his creativity and the other by going back to sleep. She had half a mind to try one more time, standing at the entrance of the record label office. His manager was a middle aged woman in the autumn of her years, and Till's senior Bu a few months. Her keen instincts and haunting intuition, made her a shrewd businesswoman, and competent manager. never one to ignore a hunch or distrust her gut she knew she struck gold when she first saw Till and how he interacted with the mysterious young woman. Letting her instincts led her, she was able to find out the young woman's name and social media profiles that were open to the public. Clicking on the profile that showed her profile picture.

"Anjya...Genevieve Olivier Markova?"

There was no doubt it was her. Marveling at her elegance and poise his manager scouted her picture and galleries. Amazed at her photogenic almost model like appearance and poses ideas rushed to head of all the possibilities she could open for her, a fresh face for the modeling world and new blood for the music video lenses. She had written down her name and contact information dead ser on recruiting her to model the album cover, when a gallery collection labeled: Concerts, caught her attention.

She had clicked on it assuming it would be grainy videos of Anjya enjoying the concerts of her favorite bands, and preparing herself for a good laugh at the wiles of youth. Yet no laughter came from her lips and the haze of nostalgia was absent. She sat down at full attention watching concert videos of Anjya playing the violin and cello. It amazed her that the young woman was a concert violinist and cellist. Her command of the strings and control of her bowing was something to behold putting her on par with the classical masters and contemporary peers. But it was her rendition of Rosetta Stoned, that made her call her number and send an email. From the haunting strums to the melodic trills that kept up with the rising tempo of the song, matching and completing Maynard's vocals with a transcendent effect. She had to get her on Till's song. To her surprise it was easy to get a hold of Anjya and schedule a meet up over lunch; a d even more so how easy going she was in person. her spirit soothed her, her mannerisms were refreshing if not an echo of an old-world etiquette. She asked questions about the project and what she wanted her to do. Giving the manager her undivided attention when it was her turn to speak. In a weeks time she was able to come in the studio to perform the violin pieces for the new single a d just as she thought Anjya was a perfect fit.

"This is it. She's the one we need for this song." She smiled brightly as the sound and video was recorded of her rehearsal in the soundproof room. Enamored at Anjya's ease and professionalism with the equipment. "If I can just get Till to get on board…" 

She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the producer, Peter was standing eight beside, calling her name for what seemed like a while now.

"Maria...Hello Maria?" He called out again finally getting an answer from her. "You awake in there Maria?"  
"You shouldn't sneak up on people. Peter."  
"I only sneak up on people who call me at 5am for a meeting they aren't even in the building."

She shook her hand at him as he only smiled and opened the door for her, watching her strut into the building and made their way to their studio office. It was still a mess when they got in seeing that the band-mates were hard at work recording their own sections of each song to be spliced together later. Though not as messy as in their earlier years, it still irritated Maria that they men were still just as messy. 

"Now about this meeting, what was it that couldn't wait until tomorrow?" Peter asked turning on the coffee machine, waiting for it to warm up while Maria turned on the laptop.

"You know the single Vöglein?"

"The one that's charting #1 right now?"

"Yes that every one, you know we've been looking for a musician to play the part in our live shows and in the music video?"

"Yes… but I thought Till had settled on Nina?" Peter poured himself a cup and sat down at the desk "and you know how hard it is for him to say yes."

"True. But what if I told you I found someone better, prettier AND can play the violin."

"I'd say you would have to be the devil." Peter glanced at Maria from the rim of his cup watching as she placed a demo CD in the laptop and simply pressed play. He was suspicious of her calm confident smile, curious to know what he was supposed to be listening to, but she simply hushed him and pointed to her ears. He was captivated by the sound, awestruck into silence by the music. Never had he felt such passion plucked and strummed by one person. He would be foolish to look over Anjya and her virtuoso talent and Maria one that once he saw her it would be a done deal. She captured the essence of the song on first take and worked so well with the sound engineers, not like Nina who could only play but a few sour notes, and complain before pitching a temper. 

"She's can record now and is available for the video shoot." She presented Peter with paperwork signed by Anjya as if anticipating his glowing approval. "Her only request is that we credit her for the work put in."

"That's it? Doesn't she want money, free tickets a meet and greet?"

"She said she only wants a credit. She was more excited to be playing the music" To this Peter became suspicious once again placing down his coffee mug and giving Maria a curious look while looking over the paperwork.

"How did you get Till to agree?"  
"I didn't, he hasn't been returning my calls. Besides, I believe he is compromised by a pair of perky tits."  
Maria began to work her pitch to Peter already seeing the cast of doubt over his eyes. As he fiddles with the pen in his hand teasing his signature.  
"Come on Peter you heard her playing you know i'm never wrong when I see talent."  
"Yes but I haven't seen her, Hugo hasn't seen her, and Till doesn't even know about her."

"Would you rather be stuck with Nina?" Maria cornered him with her words as she looked him square in his eye, there was a fire burning in her that would always show up when she beloved in someone. It was an admirable trait that gave them many great talents and birthed the company much success.

"This is real raw talent and you know it. If you want Tills approval so bad then have her audition again. And I promise you he will say yes."

She flexed her confidence long enough to give Peter a slight comfort and a playful grin. He knew she was right and would have her back if push came to shove. Yet. Every now and again he would pick moments to test her leather to see if the old woman still had it. he took to signing the papers just as Marla wanted. Holding them up to her so that both of them could see his name and the contract. Only to withhold the paperwork from her, by tucking it into a black folder before locking it in her briefcase.

"Invite her to the diner Meeting with Hugo, inform her that it will be a secondary audition and to dress accordingly. Have Till sit close enough to see and hear her before having them.both meet with Hugo."

"Isn't Diner too formal?"  
"Not at all, she should be in her element this way. If she is a talent as you say, then this should"

Peter fished his pockets for a thin sliver case, taking out a cigarette and match. He lit the wrapped herbs and pressed it to his lips for a slow and hungered drag. "I respect your fire Maria, but Till is not a novice. Don't go over his head again." Without another word, Peter opened his cell phone and began to make phone calls. Scouting for restaurants that were able to cater to this special diner plan.  
They both wanted the same thing, Determined to have the song project on track for the next award cycle, to put Anjya to good use and to reignite Till's fire. Though Maria was happy to get her way there was an underlying worry that she couldn't really shake. her gut was not wrong. It had steered her in the right direction but she didn't feel happy about attempting to go over Till's head. It was bad enough that she published the song for the new album, foolishly listening to Nina's lies about it being OK to use his songs. Though it turned out to be a world.wide power hit. The incident itself made him bitter to work with. Recusing to his village side home not too far from the Black Forest.

she tucked the CD in her bag, clasping it in the folds of her tote when she felt a vibration in her hand. It was Till returning her phone call just as she was about to leave.

"You called me?" Till asked in his distinct Kölsch/Saxony accent. he sounded tired over the phone and the static wasn't doing their call.any good as she asked to hold while she walked over to a nearby cafe.

"I can Hear you better now, how are you feeling?"  
"Good, what was the reason for the call?"  
He wasn't in a mood for small talk, something must have happened earlier in the day.

"we have a Diner meeting with Hugo for the video Peter is holding a covert audition and he wants you to check the talent."  
"Me?"  
"Yes, is that OK?"

Till was quiet for a while sitting on his couch, staring blankly at the shelf of books, Maria was being kinder than usual her voice softer and delicate as if to hide something from him or to.keep a trade secret.  
"Its fine, I thought Nina was good."  
"Shes fine, but this could be better." She spoke taking a seat by the nearest window

"This one is an actual violinist a great talent no less"  
"Talent doesn't mean anything if she can't fit the look."

"Since when did We risk talent for beauty?! Don't let that Nordic pussy cloud your judgement Till." He hated it when her voice gained that venomous bite, knowing that a storm of profanities wasn't too far behind. But she said nothing, instead taking a deep breath and thinking of her next words wisely, blending with the awkward and tired breath on Till's end of the call.

"when is the diner?" His voice broke the tension only slightly. With Maria looking at her business phone and getting a text from Peter of the time and place to meet Hugo.

"Tonight. 7:30 at Alcazar, Do you want me to send for you?"  
"No, I'll get there myself."  
"And what about Nina?" She asked him carefully.  
"Lisbon, for fashion week you need not worry." He planted his face into his hand sighing heavily, much to Maria's understanding she must've left without telling him.

"Alright I'll see you there."   
He sighed at the monotone of her voice, and given her flat delivery of her farewell she was beyond pissed at him. Deep down he was furious, the calm look on his face only hiding the anger he was feeling. If anyone had a right to be upset it was him. He had spent all most two years writing down his most intimate thoughts. His dreams and fantasy of his nameless woman with the brown sugar skin were meant for him and his sanity alone. To purge himself of a want that could destroy him in the deepest levels, he forever trapped them onto page and ink. But he had trusted to willingly. He had grown too relaxed around Nina. No doubt she read his collection, sneaking glances at the forbidden work. Loosening another sin each time she opened the box, only to leave no hope behind when she emailed Maria the poem: Vöglein. He buried the bitterness under his denial. Convinced that the material was too dark, with controversial themes that even his band wouldn't sing about. Even going as far as to adopt a different sound altogether, as to make the single unattractive to anyone else. That was the main reason why he wanted Nina as the main Female lead. She was she didn't rile him up the way that young woman could all those years ago. She didn't stir der Jäger to a frenzy and couldn't provoke the Tall Man the way she did. he was always in control with Nina; calm, collected, meticulous. It didn't matter that Nina had no talent, a terrible temperament, in fact ANYONE would be better when it came to performance. But he wasn't just banking on talent alone. All his hard work would become undone if the female lead was plain and unattractive. At least with Nina they knew what they were getting, but this impromptu stranger had a dangerous feeling about her. He didn't want to be caught off guard when meeting her, and after much consideration decided to set out his suit, and began to get ready for the anticipated diner. He always did best in simple colors with red and black flavoring him the most; drying off his wet hair and doing his best to make sure his skin was well taken care of. He was past the vanity of his younger years, confident in himself as he grew to appreciate his long face and his strong favor to his father. he combed his hair back from his face, hoping that the eyeliner wouldn't draw too much attention to his tired eyes. He nodded in approval before putting on a heavy autumn coat and a black woolen scarf despite the frigid German winter. Opting to walk to the restaurant since he didn't live that far to be picked up. He enjoyed being out in nature, making the most of his walks in the dead of night, away from crowds and people alike. There was a reflective quality to the darkness, a place where he could organize his thoughts and steel his mind for the day to come. Or in this case, reinforce his will for Nina to stay on.

"she needs to stay...she has to stay"

Soon he came upon the light of the restaurant they were meeting at. Noticing that there was a relatively good amount of people inside, some of whom were dressed for a fine dining experience, while others looked as if they had just left the opera. He hurried his pace towards the reception line, catching a glimpse of a womanly figure stepping out of an aristocrats limousine. He could tell by the slight difference in tags that the vehicle belonged to someone with money and influence. As the curiosity in him strained to get a look at the mysterious woman. But she wore a heavy black coat that covered her whole body, and by the time he reached the front door he was a good distance behind her, unable to get a good look. He doesn't dwell on it long and waited patiently for his turn at the pulpit waiting for the. Bookish host to look up and acknowledge his request.

"Good evening sir and welcome to the….. may I have your name and party please?"  
"Tyr Sandmann…" his voice trailer off when he saw the woman again, still wearing her coat and holding a medium sized leather case. She appeared to have long chestnut brown hair styled into a braided, low bun and from what he could tell have warm brown skin. Once more.only catching gazes of her from behind he found himself hyper focused on her. There was an allure with the way she walked, having the strides of a mature confident woman that merely allowed a host to show her where she already knew to be, distracting him from the main host who had a menu and his table ready.

"Follow me please." His host insisted heightening the pitch in his voice, and regaining Tills attention. It was a maze to get through walking past perfectly good tables that were better suited for their kind of meeting, yet remained utterly.empty. Till pondered this as the host finally lead him to his seat at a table set for five. At first he didn't think much of it, going through the motions of handing the host his coat and scarf and taking a selection of pre dinner drinks. The mood of the restaurant was relaxed and engaging. A modern take of the balls and parties that once took place at the highlight of German aristocracy, with the lanky changes in the way women dressed and the caliber of cuisine offered. With mood lighting dominated by low settled lights and many, many well placed candles. Till took the chance to scan the area for Maria Peter or Hugo. He found it odd that he was sitting at a table by himself, and even stranger that the tables around him were clearly empty. Sitting center viewing for a possible diner concert. He noticed four chairs set upon a pedestal and felt the anticipation sweltering on the room. By now his waiter had brought him his drink and the diner menu nightlight the specials of the night and the wines to go with them. Till was only half listening with his gaze focusing once again to the center platform. He saw more of the woman from.earlier, becoming more curious about her. A curiosity that turned scarlet as the host took her coat; revealing a tempting, open back, black cape dress. She was round in all the right places with the thickness of her African descent merging with child bearing hips. hips that lifted and shaped her rear as his eyes scanned her from the bottom up, approving of features that any man would fight wars for. 

As he waited, Till was treated to an exquisite vision of said backless dress. Her brown skin shimmered in the candle light with the black color of her dress outlining the depth of her curves. Curves he could sink his teeth into as the rim of the glass touched his lips, hoping the cold surface would temper his heat.  
Her shoulders and spine moved her anatomy in hypnotic ways showing, the stress and tension each action gave as she placed her case upon a seat with delicate care, pulling out a cherry wood violin liquored in black. Her back remained turned to him, teasing him with illusion of what she might look like. His jaw clenched at the notion of seeing her face, his breath becoming heavier with each quarter turn she made, giving hints to her buxom top and an all around figure. He took another hard sip of his drink, ignoring the waiter and determined to get a good look of this anomaly. For what seemed like an eternity he waited and watched with hyper focus. Watching as she added resin to the bow, and tuned her instrument, plucking the string until it made the sound she wanted. On Que the host walked up to her, apparently to ask if she was ready to which she said nothing but nodded happily without further delay, she took a seat upon the barley lit platform taking her time to adjust her violin upon her cushioned left shoulder. Despite how close he was, Till couldn't see anything except for the faint glow of her earrings, and the glint of the light in her eyes. But he could hear everything. he leaned back in his seat and listened to the music she played. It was a contemporary version of Vivaldi's four seasons specifically the winter suite. It astonished him listening to the subdued sound of the notes as it relaxed his mood and enhanced his dining experience. His drink tastes smoother his demeanor more relaxed listening to her playing. Admiring the silhouette of her arms and hands strumming along. Noticing the fingertips pressing on each note as the horsehair bow glided on the strings. Poised, graceful, enchanted by the music, he felt something stirred within him. A sensation he hadn't felt I'm a long time that only scratched the surface. Planting a singular thought in his mind 

"I have to have her."

His brow furrowed together as he gripped the sides of his glass taping his ring against it as if to count the time signatures until the suite was completed. counting down to his chance to make his move appropriately. Though he could not deny her alluring presence, his ears picked up on something faint, something he barely recognized in the delicate trills of the violin. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew where he heard that sound before. Unable to think of where or when he heard it. He took another look at the musician this time with his eyes focusing in the dark thinking of a way to enter her space. At last, the suite had ended allowing the lights shine on the mysterious woman. His build up coming a to.a frightening discovery when he sees the familiar face that's been haunting his dreams all this time. His Vöglein had returned to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter Dialogue translations:
> 
> 1.) You shouldn't have trusted me  
2.) now what will you do, Little Bird?  
3.)Vöglein-- Little Bird  
2.) keine Zähne Vöglein-- no teeth Little Bird (you KNOW what that means...)
> 
> you see... i was going to sit through the motions of translating all the English dialogue into German for the sake of my pride and to keep wit the intent of practice the written portion of my German studies. but its 1AM and a girl is fucking tired. so instead i will only put a few key phrases n German and translate it when need be. limiting the German to only interactions between Till/Tyr and the female lead. extra brownie points if you can remember her name ^^
> 
> Chapter Notes:  
this will be a two part chapter. there were many ideas and themes left on the cutting room floor and FUCK TON of revision and re-writing. for some reason this chapter was refusing to flow the way i wanted it to. four days later and i finally got it down. and though this first part feels complete, the main beats for the fourth chapter have not been met yet. so stay tuned and always enjoy.
> 
> Bonus: Till and Tyr are the same person. Till is the stage name Tyr is the given/real/government name.


	5. Vöglein. 2

He played the scene over and over again, Pausing at the moment that truly haunted him. He had walked up to her after she had finished her performance. Holding a bundle of flowers in her arms. She was beautiful and glowing, full of healthy ego and self pride and for a brief moment, their eyes connected.   
A mutual gaze met across a crowded restaurant her brown eyes greeting him with a familiar welcome. Eyes that came closer to his own, as he had found his courage to walk over to her. Closer and closer he gazed at his little bird dressed in a white ball gown. Her curly hair interwoven with pearls and diamond roses. He could feel his heart racing. Each beat louder than the first as he took hold of her hand kneeling before her. His pale thumb caressed the soft surface her fingers anticipating the feeling of skin and the scent of a young Lady in bloom. His lips cold and lifeless pressed her hand, tasting the sweetness of a tender and shealters life. His lips hovered over her skin, longing for more. Pressing her hand to his forehead he pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her lower body. 

"You did this to me…" 

his words whispered into the empty space rubbing his face on her abdomen. He felt the silk of the handmade nightgown soothe his skin. Her felt her hands caressing the top if his head, running his hair through her fingers in a loving way. His touch pushed the hem of the gown over her legs and hips, gripping and kneading at the tender flesh. Pushing her down into the sheets of his bed, he overwhelmed her with the power and size of his age and gender. Greedily gyrating between her legs to coax the reaction he wanted; begging her body to give him what he craved.

"You made me this way…" 

Jagged teeth rip into her flesh and body eating the young woman. Her blood soaked into the bed until the sheets turned black, pooling its corruption onto the floor until the trappings of a rich man's chambers, crumbled into a decaying castle. It was only when he came up for air, did he see his own face gasping with the hunger of a ravenous beast. His face stained and dripping with the young woman's viscera as blood spewed from his lips with his body continuing the motions of sexual intercourse. The intensity had brought Till to his home half dressed and nursing his second cup of liquor, looking down to see a sizable imprint of his hard sex through hispant"s He bitterly put away his drink and carefully undressed, running a cold shower as he went to quickly check his phone. there was a missed call from Maria from an hour earlier, around the time he had left the restaurant. Losing his courage after one quick meeting of their eyes and a lingering touch of his chest. He quickly excused himself and gathered his belongings. Leaving the young woman in disarray and missing Maria and Peter as they both entered the restaurant with Hugo in tow. He dreaded what would happen if he had stayed. If it was worth it to cross that line, could he risk it all for the sake of selfish appeasement? The cold water did nothing to cool his tension, adding more harm than good. His member still protruded from its place between his legs, monstrous and twitching with demand. He had never seen his flesh so engorged, not since he saw it rise for the first time of his precious youth. It looked angry in its reddish tan tint unphased by the cold water that crinkled his skin. 

"Till?"

Her voice bounced off the empty walls of the bathroom shower as the sound of her heels echoed in the apartment. She came back early from Lisbon and wanted to surprise him, seeing his clothes scarred about his bedroom she made her way to the bathroom. She casually undressed herself, undoing her hair as her golden locks fell down her shoulder and back. 

"There you are"

She opened the door to see his silhouette against the water stained door. Obscuring his details slightly say for the color of his skin, hair, and his obvious erection. 

"Nina?"

His voice lulled her with its calm depth as he opened the door to look at her. His dull blue eyes peered at her, looking her body inspecting every inch of her europen features. She was there and willing, stepping into the cold water to greet him. Nina leaned closer as if to kiss him. their bodies pressed closer together with intimacy, his erection sliding between her legs, teasing the possibility of a warm embrace. He held her tenderly pressing his lips to her forehead reaching to run his fingers through her hair. He didn't understand where this desire for companionship came from. He wanted to touch her, to hold her. He needed to feel the warmth of real compassion. He nodded down to kiss her, reaching to tenderly play with her hair, only for her to pull away giving him a queer look.

"We have an agreement."

Her four words brought him to his reality. He relented his affectionate touch, pushing her head in the direction it would inevitably go. He watched her golden hair turn a harvest yellow from the falling water, wondering if the cold shower bothered her while enjoying the heat her mouth provided. He would never deny her skills, or question her sex drive. Nina was always willing to please on the condition that there would be no affection between them. This never used to bother him, as he enjoyed the pleasure of sex with no strings attached. Yet something about this encounter felt misplaced. He had a beautiful woman that aimed to please him, unburdened by the wants and needs of any other woman. She didn't want a husband or a boyfriend and the connotations that came with it. Nina hated labels and pointless affections, the male idea of a perfect woman. She lead him out the shower, and mounted him quickly with knees still red from the tile of the shower floor. Slick from the water and excitement it was easy to penetrate, easy for her to get what she wanted from him. Holding on to her narrow hips, his mind began to wander. Watching perky breast bounce and bound against her slender frame he could only think of Her and her smiling brown eyes. She was elegant in her backless dress, coordinated in a timeless ensemble. Her ears were dripping of starlight as she held those soft pink roses close to her heart. He wanted to compliment her on her musicality, to flatter the way she played her notes and the mastery of her instrument. And when their eyes met he didn't want to let her go. Those soulful pools of onyx glanced at him with the depth of a long lost friend. His heart racing once he realized she recognized him. Till panicked watching her make moves to excuse herself just to talk to him. He couldn't find the proper words to greet her once she stood before him, cowering at the slightest touch upon his chest. He knew it was a gesture to make sure he was okay, seeming ill by the way she was looking at him. But he pushed her away, and hurried out the door. Unwilling to open the path for der Jäger have his way with her. With Nina thrusting on his lap he did his best to focus on her and her native beauty.  
Forcing himself to find release in their unrequited relationship, he made himself pay attention to her tired compliments and over exaggerated performance. With a well placed moan and good vaginal control she had the power to fool any other man of their life changing orgasm. Tricking them into thinking they were the best she ever had. Till was not these men. He knew his body well enough to tell if he was bringing her closer to god, he knew the power he could bring to any given woman. He hated when she would fake it, taking care of her own indulgences yet too afraid to let him have his fill of her. Despite what fulfilment Nina offered, Till was starving having this night end as most night did. She pried herself from his member, faking amazement at how thick and long it was and how far he made it inside her. She laid down beside him and went to sleep making no attempt to see how he was or ask about his day, or even to see if she was still in the music video. Till in turn rose from his bed and found himself sitting in his study, tempted to get another glass of liquor. He swirled the contents in its crystal vessel watching the brown liquor warp the room around him. He heard the soft clicks of a woman's shoes enter his study as he began to imagine the young woman before him. He watched her take off her shawl, and place down her violin case and flowers. She took her shoes off and left them by the door, walking barefoot about the study as she untied her hair; letting the chestnut tresses fall in their natural curls. Through these mundane rituals he found himself becoming curious, his flesh slowly regaining its stiffness. When she turned to look at him his heart fluttered, smiling eyes greeted him as she shyly moved her hair over her shoulder.

"Please?" 

She asked but one simple question using visual ques to guide his actions. He willfully obliged her request, caressing his hands under the fabric of the backless dress. With a gentle push, the sleeves floated off her arms and folded at the start of her hips as dark hair framed her much lighter and naked body. Warm brown cheeks matched the soft pink of her roses, as skillful hands holding the fabric of her dress with modest delicacy. Her eyes gazing at him with an innocent indecisiveness that set his loins on fire.

"Wait…" Her voice pleaded in a whisper, shaking from her lips. He indulged as a starved wolf on a flock of sheep, his lips and teeth planting thorned kisses on her neck and shoulders. Her body quivered at his touch dancing on her neck, with well placed fingers lifting her chin to show her face twisted with agonizing pleasure as he penetrated her from behind. Guttural sounds escaped from the tightness of his throat, indulging himself in the spoils of a fresh virgin.

"This is what I wanted." He pressed himself against her, pushing her chest against the table and making it hard for her to breathe. 

"This is what I crave." he closed his eyes immersed in the sensations of their sex. Breathing in the smell of his scent interlocked with hers, listening to the steady rhythm of his member plunging deep into her body. Feeling the shape of her body molded by his own hands. He felt the power of god coursing through his body, as the essence of creation began to consume the moment.

"Stay with me..."

he wrapped around her glistening body, once again intertwined in the sheets of what seemed to be his bed. Firmly rooted inside her there was no need to hold back. Interlocking his fingers in her hands Till looked deeply into her brown eyes deep in the throes of desire. 

Stay with me. 

He kissed her deeply, feeling the warmth of her face and neck through the palm of his hand, as if to commit everything inch of her face to memory. Feeling every ounce of passion, and desperation that flooded into his eyes and looked upon the vessel for his happiness. 

Stay with me.

his grasp tightened around her wrists feel his body contort to the pressure of his release. watching with anticipation to the way her own body reacted in unison to his. A false sense Happiness washing over him as he kissed her forehead repeatedly hazing into her eyes that were wet with love. Slowly he looked up from her face, expecting to see his own image in the mirror only to be greeted by the visage of a deathly pale, and much older version of himself. His eyes were dulled and white, his sclera black as pitch glaring back at him not with the euphoria he was feeling but the actions of a panicked man that realized a dire mistake.

"It's never good to be aggressive on the first go… it makes for damaged goods." A hefty, grave voice had startled Till from his fantasy as he looked across his desk to see a much older version of himself. His pale skin had the tint of grey you would see on a dead man, with his white hair combed back in a style much like the one he wore now. even his eyes looked dull and washed out with the black of the sclera giving any meaningful contrast to his monochromatic features.

"Of course this never stopped me, and it won't stop you." He gave Till a knowing look, his decayed fingers passing his phone over the surface of the table. There was a picture message waiting for him where he saw the Picture of the young woman, his little Hessichen as the violinist he saw the night before, reading:

"Say hello to Anjya Genevieve Olivier Markov, your new Vöglein."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo und Guten Ahbend.
> 
> The notes today wont be that long as there was no new german vocab today. HOWEVER! Old Man Till has entered the chat! 
> 
> Yes, Her Mann Till is here and this my friends is where things. Get. Real.
> 
> Speaking of things getting real I advise you readers to open this chapter when you arent at work as things have gotten NSFW. That being said do enjoy the chapter. Until next time Tuschus!


	6. Lorelei

Her picture remained frozen on the screen of his phone, She was indeed photogenic as she looked flawless even when caught by surprise. Her face was relaxed simple and eloquent partially caught off guard by the picture that was taken; freezing her face between words. He shouldn't have left the meting so soon since all that was waiting for him at home was a quick fuck and a stiff cock. She didn't look that much older from the last time he saw her. Scrolling through the bundle of unread messages, Till had a better look at Anjya, she seemed more mature, less stiff and not as formal. She was curious and casual with Maria and Peter with the jovial smile on Hugo's face solidifying her place in the project. There would be no way for him to vote no now that three out of four people found Anjya agreeable. Even if he wanted to, he didn't have the heart to watch her face disappeared from his life again. 

"Anjya Genevieve Olivier Markov."

As he repeated her name again his face contorted at how strange it sounded on his tongue. The flavor of steel iron and dirt flooded his taste buds with a nauseating sensation. The room began to tilt and spin blurring in and out of focus. He was feeling sick to his core watching the familiar setting spin faster and faster until it all began to muddle into a black mass of detail-less silence. He could only feel the cold of a dark winter night. Its chill penetrated his bones deeper than any winter he had lived through, as the flicker of a dim firelight was his only focal point of light. He saw the light bouncing off of a black mass of fabric watching as corpse like hands opened the wooden box he had seen once before. It was cleaner than when he last gazed upon it polished and carefully looked after say for the lock that was crudely damaged beyond repair. Gaining a closer look, he saw the figure from behind as it sat in a rather old and worn out chair. Long black hair rested down its neck in matted and deserved tresses. Neglected and wild from what seemed like years of poor upkeep. With his eyes adjusting to the darkness, he noticed that the space itself looked more like the interior of an ancient castle with stone walls connected to high ceilings, and soaring buttresses or at least was left of it. Upon the adjacent wall there was but one window that remained in pristine condition as if u touched by the ravages of time. He could sense that something was off about it, something peculiar he could not put his finger as he inched closer to the window.

Ting… ting… ting

His heart sank at the familiar sound looking from the corner of his eyes, he watched the hand rest against the neck of a crystal chalice embellished with silver and gold. The band of a silver ring tapped against the crystal base, as its sapphire center glowed and ominous tint. With Till inching closer the tapping became louder, as the hands of a clock ticking the time away. 

"Make up your mind."

A stiff ancient voice spoke from the darkness as Till walked to the other side of the table, he was shocked to see his own face staring intensely staring at the opened box. His ringed finger tapped upon the chalice with his eyes darting at every thought in his mind.

"If you don't hurry, you will be late.

The room began to morph once more. Detail becoming disheveled and blurred. He wanted to stay longer, wanted to know why he was looking at himself or rather, who that man was with a similar face. He caught a glimpse of his hand pulling out a formless item from the box. Its chain hung delicately from his fingers with a look of grief pouring from his eyes.

Once more he was engulfed in black as the alarm from his phone brought him back to his earring present. He was back in his study, still sitting at his desk, with his face still flushed and his body sore. The sound of the phone ringing brought him to his feet as he looked down to make sure he was presentable, with no traces of self care for Nina to see. 

"Morning Maria."

His voice had given away his tired and groggy disposition as he rummaged through his closet looking for something decent to wear.

"Are you OK you sound tired?" She asked while getting ready herself albeit in the back of her chauffeured car. "Did you get any sleep."  
"No, Nina came over."  
"Did she?"  
"Yes...it was a surprise for me too."   
He balanced his phone on his shoulder to his ear as he began to get dressed in his study finding a pair of black slacks and a simple white button up.

"You do know today is the first day of recording. Have you told her about the final decision?" He froze mid-action cursing himself harshly.   
"No, I didn't get the chance to."

She frowned and pressed on the space between her eyes. Maria knew what that phrase meant and heard it often when it came to Nina snaking her way into Till's professional life. She was the kind of woman to use her body to her advantage and never one to let go of a prospective lifeline of resources. And Till was by far a very healthy resource, as a top millionaire in Germany and a powerhouse in the music industry being connected to him had opened many doors for Nina.

"This is the first day."  
"I know."  
"Are you at least ready."  
"Almost."  
He pulled the straps of his suspenders over his shoulders and rummaged for a clean pair of socks. quickly he pulled them over his feet and began to look for his shoes and coat, all the while looking for a good pair of shoes

"I'll be there in ten minutes, meet me downstairs." Till nodded and hung up the phone doing his best to make up his hair and skipping his shave all together. He hurried through the apartment and towards the front door his coat half way on his body as he fumbled with his scarf. There by the door Nina was waiting, overdressed and looking through her phone. 

"You look beautiful?"   
He asked rather confused as he took time to look at her get up as a whole, from her designer accessories, to the top quality of her blouse and pencil skirt: Nina looked flawless and stunning. Even her wild golden hair had been tamed into a presentable and stylish look, bearing a classic red lip and too much concealer under her eyes. 

"I know. I want to make a good impression." She gave him a playful glance and air kissed him above the cheek, careful not to ruin her painted face or her perfect red lip.

"Maria is on her way?" She looked over herself in the hallway mirror before standing by to let Till open the door, taking one look at him and making a sarcastic face that didn't sit well with him.  
"Did I tire you out Love?"

She asked playfully, trotting out the door as he followed behind. Both of them interacting in almost total silence say for the tapping of her fingers on the surface of her smartphone. Her face wrinkling with every smile and giggle she made, Till wondered if she was this way with him when they were not together. If by chance, there was another man in the same situation he was in, with the same woman he had found himself stuck with. True to her nature, as soon as Nina entered the Lobby all eyes were on her. They marveled at her appearance, commenting on how well put together she was and how much of a power couple they seemed to be. Loving every minute of it, Nina would lock her arm into his, giving the impression that they were a couple if not to boost her own ego. Even though they were the farthest thing from dating Nina wanted it to be known that Till was taken. By the time they made it outside Maria was waiting standing out in the cold by the side of a tinted car. They were five minutes late and she did not look pleased. However, Nona was not concerned with Maria and her sharp gaze and did bother to say goodbye to Till when he leaned in to see her off. Her face quickly avoided his hand, almost slapping it away in disgust. As she looked to Maria and then back to Till, she quickly composed herself and gave him an irritated look.

"We talked about this..." Nina looked put off and disappointed as an expensive looking sports car pulled up right in front of her. "I have to go." 

The driver opened the butterfly door to the passenger side of the car. As her voice returned to its upbeat and flirtatious pattern. It didn't take long for Nina to disappear behind the tinted windows of and her voice to be drowned out by the roar of the engine as the car sped down the street and vanished towards the autobahn.

"Till… Till?" Maria had walked up to him, she once had a mind to scold him for not telling Nina what happened, and even planned her while attitude for the day if she had tagged along. Yet, she was glad that Nina decided not to come, and was deeply troubled by the way she had treated Till just now. He said nothing with his dark demeanor engulfing him entirely. Both of them sitting in the back seat of the car in relative, and tension filled silence. She was a stranger to his dating ways and once preferred to stay that way. She would notice how his previous partners were always low key, respectable and in some way cared for Till. But as the years went by she started seeing less and less affection from these women with Nina being the coldest one yet. Maria wondered if this had to do with Anjya. He met Nina only a week after Maria found him in the hospital in Stuttgart fighting a fever from being caught in the rain. He wouldn't tell her where he was or how they were even able to contact her, but the look in his eyes then were the same gaze he gave her now, blank with regret and deep in thought. She didn't like it when he looked this way and began to think of what to say to change the mood or at least focus his thoughts elsewhere.

"Do you have everything ready?" Maria finally asked her voice bringing Till's attention back to her. The lack of sun in the overcast sky made his eyes a dulled grayish-blue. It brought out the tired circles under his eyes and pale complexion of a sleepless night. She didn't want to open that Pandora box of what he and Nina did together, but at least she knew she could get him excited for the Vöglein project.

"Yes the sheet music is in the studio."  
"Good, we should be done with part one by lunch and have both parts ready for Hugo by Tuesday."

"Tuesday?" Till asked with Maria nodding to her point.   
"Hugo is confident with Anjya's ability, and I believe she can do it." She smiled and opened her book as they waited in traffic. "It's a shame you didn't stay for dinner. Hugo would have loved to see how you two would interact."  
"Would he?" The thought crossed his mind of how that diner would've played out had he had the courage to stay. Peter and maria would sit across from He and Anjya, with Hugo at the head of the table. His large hazel eyes drinking in the silent dynamic between the two. The demure Lady sitting next to a hunter in disguise, his own twist on the Beauty and the Beast.

"Yes, you know much Hugo loves drama and a good love story."   
"I wouldn't call Vöglein a love story"   
"Then what kind of story is it?"

Maria looked up from her book closing it between her gloved hands. She didn't have a look of anger or any sign of vexation about her. Yet she had a look that reminded him of his mother. the same way her eyes would fixate on him before he would tell a lie, a look that made him choose his words carefully. 

"... A tragedy."

He could see the studio coming into focus from his side of the car. A new wave of anxiety began to come over him. It dawned on him that he has not collaborated with another artist in a long time, let alone someone the rest of the world didn't know. It was a risk he was still unsure about, despite the fact he agreed to take her on. 

"Well tragedy or not I am excited to see how this will go." He had never seen a brighter smile on Maria's face, not since their first album went platinum did she seem so proud of him. Was it really such a big deal to have this girl on board? 

As if on cue of a cruel joke. He looked to see Anjya walking down the street towards the studio. She was dressed for the weather wearing winter overalls and a thin looking jacket. He almost didn't recognize her with the cool cap containing her hair or the lost look on her face as she looked to her phone and then to each holding address, trying to find the studio. Looking more like a backpacker than a renowned violinist her current attire somehow made her more charming. The car had pulled up a good block away from Anjya to the front of the studio. Maria was preoccupy with her phone being that Hugo had just called her.

"Hugo Darling!"  
She aggressively waved her hand,rushing Till into the building as she did her best to appease the worried director. By the sound of it Hugo had been waiting for a while, worried that Anjya was lost and Till had overslept again.

"Hugo, calm down. Till is on his way up now and I'll call Anjya to see if shes OK." Her voice faded into the sounds of the streets around them. While her back was turned and busy calming down Hugo, Anjya had managed to find the studio. She hurried as fast as she could shedding layers of her outer wear with each quickened pace she made. Careful to keep a tight grip on her bags she pardoned herself past various people inching closer to the elevators, just as Till was entering the one in the middle.

"Hold it, hold the door please!" she called out inches from the closing door hoping that someone would hear her out. But she only caught a glimpse of Tills grey eyes looking back at her, smiling coldly as the doors closed between them. She stood for a moment; half tired from her travels, half bewildered by his actions, wondering if he had let the doors close on purpose. 

Mother Fucker.

He could feel the eyes of judgment on him, despite being the only one in the spacious elevator. There was room for her to join him, he had time to hold the door, at the very least he could have pressed the button. But all he did was smile at her as the doors closed between them. He reached up and felt his face wondering if he had done the right thing, wondering what the intent of his smile truly was. When the doors finally opened to the studio he saw Anjya walk past him in a quickened pace. She looked more exhausted than she was in the lobby, hearing the sound of the stairway door closing behind her. 

Did she really walk up all those stairs?

He thought walking behind her, surprised at how fast she was walking given her average height and curvier build. She was stopped by the receptionist on the way inside the studio, having to wait by the wayside while other artists were let inside. Much to Anjya's annoyance she began to argue with the Receptionist, tired and desperate for time. He was in earshot of their argument, noticing how calm and how tired Anjya was. She must have been up all morning and looked as if she forgot to eat, no doubt wanting to be early for the recording. He could ignore her, he should let Maria handle it. It was her job to keep the Receptionist in line anyway, least they get drunk with their own little sliver of power. But his gaze caught her taking off her woolen cap letting her tight curls fall down over her left shoulder. She rubbed her face, hiding her attempts to wipe the sweat from her brow. 

"I'm sorry Miss but without a pass I can't let you in--"   
"She's with me Lelia." He spoke up as both women looked at him one with admiration, while the other seemed to be reluctant indifference. "The halls are kinda small. You should leave what you don't need at the desk." He watched her pause mid motion, as if debating whether or not to listen to him. Happy that she relented, Till waited patiently for Anjya to pass over the duffel bag and extra coat. Now seeing more of her natural curves he saw that her winter overalls were more utility than fashion, wondering what she was wearing underneath.

He opened the door waiting for Anjya to come to him as she gathered the violin case and walked with him through the doors. What waited for them was the tension of a nervous sound engineer and a pensive Hugo. With Till unlocking the door, they sharply turned around to see them entering the recording studio together.

"There they are, my staring muses"  
Hugo hugged Till and then Anjya surprised to see her so bundled up in so many layers. "My dear you will surely overheat. Till, you get ready while we wait for Dame Markova to get situated."

"I can manage." She spoke with a kind smile, proceeding to unbuckle her overalls while the men in the room seemed a bit surprised and slightly uncomfortable. Till did his best to avoid looking at her, testing his microphone and headphones. But he couldn't help but steal glances of her from the reflection of the booth window. Watching her push down, and shimmy out of her winter overalls. her strong and sturdy legs were covered with a thick pair of leggings. She fluffed out the over-sized sweater she was wearing, making sure it covered her hips and a good portion of her butt but did nothing to hide her curvaceous body. There was a comfort over fashion style about her that was wonderful and endearing. Where even her makeup free, fresh face and slightly messy hair made her even more attractive to Till. Their glances crossed paths again once Anjya made it into the adjacent booth. She was nervous with her half-assed smile that was more polite out of necessity than a genuine greeting, but this did nothing to hide the pink blush of embarrassment on her cheeks that a person who didn't notice wouldn't see. 

"Is she blushing?"

He thought his mind was overthinking things again. she was cheerful with everyone else, grinning and laughing with his band-mates and Hugo as they went about doing her sound checks. It was decided to do her parts firs,t given how complex Till had made the notes. Despite how simple his vocals were he wanted the music to be the main focus, as if he intended the song to be a duet. He could hear the music playing in his headphones, all instrumental with none of his vocals. Till was curious to see how she would do of course, her skill as a classically trained musician could not be questioned. Yet he was curious to see how she would fair with his brand of industrial metal. He watched her sit through the initial listening session of Vöglein, her eyes staring off into the distance. He saw her foot tapping against the rung of the stool and her head nodding to the music. She liked the sound, the rhythm of the music reminded her of a dance. She closed her eyes and picked up her Violin, playing along to the music. The sound engineers went to work recording her impromptu playing much to Hugo's excitement. She knew exactly what sound was needed and what notes to press. Her fingers and strumming brought to life the voice he imagined, bouncing and falling as if being sung by a siren. She sat the same way she did at her concert recital, elegant and regale with her feet crossed at the ankles and her eyes closed. Her body swayed with the movement of the music, her face reacting to the breakdown of each and every note. Till had never seen anyone moved by his music in this way. She wasn't raving like a typical fan would as if possessed by the music. Nor was she put off by the genre she was playing, instead Anjya played as if she was part of the music, letting each timbre soak into her being. It didn't even bother him that she wasn't looking at his sheet music. Respecting her ability to let the music itself to tell her what it wanted and needed her to do. He could hear them tell her that she did a good job, better than what they were expecting bringing on a better smile on her face.

"She must have been nervous today." 

It was Till's turn at recording, this time his instrumental had the addition of Anjya's violin. Her playing was perfect. It sounded better than the initial violin they had for the radio release, more haunted and manic. It was as if she brought to life the Vöglein he was serenading, unaware of the irony she was playing into. He couldn't help but smile at her as she sat down still as can be watching him sing. He couldn't say for sure if she was in awe of his vocal range or singing ability, as he imagined her to be around far superior talents. But she did enjoy hearing him sing. Resting her chin in the palm of her hand, Anjya closed her eyes immersed in the entirety of the body of music. in quiet contemplation she filters out all other sounds, focusing on his voice. She could only imagine what the proper training would accomplish in his vocals. Though they lacked the overt dominance he had in his earlier works. There was still a power behind his voice. A power that may have been amplified by the stiffness of his aging in voice box. The song felt longer than what was imagined, going two minutes over the original run-time with the sound engineers nervous about going to the cutting room floor. Both Anjya and Till watched the silent conversation between Hugo and the engineers knowing that their little conversation might take longer than intended. He looked over to her once again watching her face soften into a so-so expression and an oh well smile. She wasn't bothered by their debate and resisted to sit patiently for them to work it out. She wants in a rush as Nina would be. There was no Impatience about her or any desire to move things along her way. Anjya recognized she was a guest in their space and behaved accordingly.

Tap  
Tap   
Tap

She turned to the glass of the adjacent booth looking at Till as he stood over there, waving his hand for her to come closer. She gave him the look he expected, half curious and half suspicious of him, after all he was more than certain she still had the elevator scene fresh in the front of her mind. He pursued his lips and waved to her again his finger pressed together to beckon her forward. She looked back to the arguing sound booth and back to Till, climbing off the stool she walked over to him. Standing by the window with her arms crossed under her chest. He took off the headphones and showed her to switch to channel motioning that he wanted to talk to her. With a better understanding of his intent she nodded and switched over to the same channel, adjusting her headphones over her thick hair.

"Can you hear me better?"  
"Yes, I can." He watched her eyes match his lips to the sound of his voice through the headphones and in turn did the same. She sounded much younger over the filter with a softer, sensual pitch to her tender voice.

"They're going to be at this for a while. Would you join me for a walk?"  
"Depends, you're not going to close the elevator on me are you?"  
His smooth expression cracked into a well meaning chuckle that relaxed him a bit. He was right that she was mad at him from earlier, but relieved that she wasn't one to hold a grudge and had a bit of humor. He shook his head and looked at her with a well meaning smile.

"Never Hessischen." She saw that he already had his coat in his arm and a charming but roguish smile on his face. She didn't say anything, as the blush on her cheeks spoke for her. Hugo Looked up from the work he and the sound engineers were doing. His eyes peeking at the right moment to watch the interaction between Till and Anjya. His artistic eye scanned and recorded every micro reaction between them. From the way Anjya shifted in her stance and held her hands together. To the outer confidence and control Till exuded. He saw the courtship blooming between them, the toned down efforts of an older gentleman to enchant and capture his younger and innocent Dame. Hugo was intrigued by Till's choice of pursuit, having known him to be more aggressive with having the woman chase after him. It peaked his keen imagination watching Till do the chasing of a woefully unaware young lady. From the way he smiled at her to the subtle placement of his hand on the small of her back. There was a possibility for where the narrative could go, and ways to fan that tiny spark into a smoldering fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we are again for the 5th chapter in canon-
> 
> once again there is no new German words in this chapter, however we get some romance sparking between Till and our little Hessichen even if it was a very, little awkward
> 
> Lorelei: Siren of German Folklore


	7. Nacht

The afternoon sun made the day a lot brighter than earlier, with Till regretting his choice of leaving his sunglasses at home. he had offered Anjya to walk with him without a destination in mind, knowing that it could take a while for the song to be finished. He had time to think of something, time to figure out what he wanted to do. Wrapped up in naming the perfect move he didn't notice that Anjay had stopped following him and was waiting in line at a food stand. With her hands in her pockets she waited in anticipation of the prospect of hot chocolate, with only a few more people ahead of her. She could feel her legs growing sore as she stood still. Not from the cold but from all the activity she was doing. Anjya had been up and working since 4 am and her body was tempting to revolt against her. But The smell of rich chocolate was tempting, the mixture of dark and milk chocolate tickling her tongue. How she smiled so brightly with childlike delight once it was her turn to order.

"One large cocoa please, with whip cream and extra chocolate" She asked with the chipper happiness of a child. She reached in her pockets looking for her wallet, only for her pockets to be empty.

"That will be 5,10€" 

"About that--"

"Can you add coffee to that order please" she blushed feeling his strong grip on her left hip. Wondering when he managed to get beside her, she watched the stand worked blush at how handsome he was. Anjya wanted to protest seeing the way the stand worker was looking at them, she didn't want to give the wrong impression. But the blush on her cheeks turned red feeling his touch through her coat and sweater. With the drinks ready he gave the stand worker 10€ and advised her to keep the change. 

"You didn't have to do that." Anjya spoke taking slow sips of the hot drink. "They might think your my chaperone or something."

He choked on his coffee. Surprised at how comfortable she was to say that but more shocked that people would see them in that kind of light.

"Chaperone or something, you think i am an old man?"

"Well those suits don't do you any justice when we're walking in the park." She walked beside him holding her hot chocolate in both hands to shield from the growing cold. The clouds began to gather and grey in the sky, a pending sign of the night that was to come. "That's not to say you don't look good in them…"

"But?"

"But, you should relax more." 

"I am relaxed"

"Then these are troubled times for the kingdom indeed"

She peeked from the whipped cream cover of her drink tasting the bittersweet mixture with the last rays of sun giving her brown eyes a glint of mischief at her witty words that followed:

"If I had known this was a date, I would've known to match you." Till stopped in his tracks as he watched her walk ahead of him. She looked over her shoulder to see that he had fallen behind, she gave him a kind smile and returned to him.

"Don't you agree?"

It was interesting to see Till up close after such a long time. Finally getting a human reaction from his otherwise refined and collected face, the slight of surprise made her realize that he wasn't expecting that kind of answer. But instead of that look of awe lingering, it turned into the sly gaze of an older man. It wasn't until he walked up to her did she realize how impressive his height was. Even his mohawk had aged well, maturing into both sides of his head being shaved say for a healthy patch of hair combed down the middle. He didn't look as tired as he was the last time they met, relieved that he wasn't exhausted from country wide touring, but was still stressed out from the process that was the Vöglein project. Looking into his eyes she noticed something familiar. She couldn't put her finger on it, let alone where this sensation came from but she had seen that look before.

"kluges Mädchen…" he wrapped his fingers under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet him. His voice deepening the sensation, soft as silence with the depth of power. "Is this your way of thanking me?" She saw the danger peeking from behind his grey eyes. The hairs on the back of her neck pulsed as he touched her bottom lip. For a moment she didn't see Till standing before her, but something else that wasn't fully human. He leaned and pulled her body close with the promise of a warm kiss, drawing her deeper into his seduction. He almost had her. In that moment, he could taste what his dreams had been hinting at for all these years. he wrapped his arms around her surprisingly small waist, holding her in an intimate embrace. 

“Was wirst du machen Anjya, hm?” his whisper teased his breath on her neck in his own playful way, as if to get back at her for calling him a chaperone. Yet, a sound delighted him more than any answer she could give him when a light sigh escaped her lips with her delicate fingers gripping at his shoulders.

“we have to go.” she whispered on the brink of arousal pulling away from him as he fought to hold onto her.

“So soon?” he could smell her arousal in the frigid cold air. It excited him to know that it took little effort to entice his little bird, that with one well placed kiss would end her. But instead of her soft pink tinted lips, he felt the surfaces of her fingers pressed against his lips. Their foreheads were touching, pressing gently against each other in a playful bout of tug-of-war. Till saw how red her round face had become, feverish and hot to the touch yet showing a great amount of self-control. All he could do was sigh deeply and smile, content with planting a meaningful kiss upon her soft fingers. 

“When can I see how well you compliment me?”

“The first snow of winter.”

She smiled at the frustrated, but intrigued look on his face, gladdened to see that Till wasn't a sore sport as she feared. He had relented his hold on her, relaxing his arms from around her waist, allowing the young woman space to move around yet still held on to her hand. Taking hold of her, he gently placed her fingers in the bend of his arm, and offered her to walk beside him. She was a Dame through and trough, refusing to kiss him even if she deeply desired to do so, finding more value in protecting her chastity, and his good standing than to risk public embarrassment. Till was happy for this. It had been so long since a woman had made him work for his reward, longer still since he enjoyed doing the chasing. Happy nonetheless that after their close call, she trusted him enough to walk back to the studio side by side, looking more and more like old friends.

“Will you be alright going home?” He asked as she gathered her things at the lobby, heartbroken to watch her pull on her bulky winter overalls.

“Yeah, it's not that far of a commute.”

“It’ll be safer if you took a cab.”

“if you're that worried--” she placed down her duffle bag and violin case and took a pen out of her pocket, with a kindly hold she cradled Tills hands in hers, writing down her number on his pale skin. “You can call me on the hour until I get home. If i don't hurry i will miss my train.”

Once more her hair vanished under her wool cap, as she bade Till goodbye under Maria’s watchful eye. She saw how his fingers lingered as her hand slipped from his grasp. Reaching out for her as Anjya disappeared into the underground subway, to rubbing his face as he paced back and forth in frustration. Understanding in that moment what Hugo meant by lovers in bloom, she witness Till gazing in the direction Anjya had walked long after she was gone, and well into the car ride back to his apartment. For the whole time he was deep in thought again, but this time with an entirely different mood. He was more relaxed and at ease, a farcry from the gloom and sour mood he was in earlier that morning. Maria was worried that his mood would stick, that he would be hard to work with and would’ve scared Anjya away. She was so certain of this that she had prepared herself a list of things she would say just in case he sabotaged his own project for the sake of a spiteful woman. However, this look about him suited him better as he took the time to take out his phone, and dial in the number written on his hands

Is he in love?

She turned the key to her apartment, and opened the door to the faint smell of citrus and cinnamon. Anjya had a long day that showed on her tired face, dropping her bags at the door as she locked it behind her. She kicked off her shoes and shimmied out of her winter overalls, shedding more of her clothes along the path to a hot shower and cozy clothes. With the water running down her back she felt the bitter winter melting away from her skin, soaking into her shrunken curls. The weight of the water allowed her hair to grow and stretch with each comb of her fingers washing away the sweat and stress of her day. Anjya could still feel the ghost of his hand on her back, a part of her longing for that jesting grip with each pelt of the hot water. She felt her fingers reaching towards her lips touching the softened surface. She pressed her lips where his kiss once was, imagining what would've happened if she didn't stop him.

"What am I doing?"

Anjya returned to her shower rinsing the soap from her skin and hair determined to stop thinking about him and his strong hands. hands that trailed down the length of her spine and wrapped around her wet body. She thought she felt him pressing his today against her. Slipping his fingers over the traces of soap left on her body sliding between her legs. She covered her mouth and spun around behind her seeing and feeling no one there. Her heart was pounding against her rib cage as she stared into the open space, as if to make sure she was absolutely alone. Unable to trust her own thoughts, Anjya rushed through the rest of her shower, quickly combing out the kinks of her hair and taking the rest of her routine to her room. Despite her best efforts to stay awake, Anjya was tired. Half from the long and exhausting morning collecting favors, half from spending her time working on Vöglein. She turned towards her night stand, staring at a collection of unopened CDs and video DVDs and that her best friend had sent her over the years. She touched the plastic as a hint of nostalgia hit her with plaid sweaters and long black skirts. once again she was a Music Major that transferred from Louisiana to Germany; who heard of Rammstein But never bothered to listen to their discography. What Machinations had been at play to have her cross paths with Till two years ago? That the same man whom she admired for his books, was the same man as the Tall Man and der Jäger. A man she had only met in person once who dared to try and kiss her.

"I just wanted an autograph. Was that too much to ask for?" 

She lifted one of the Cds and gazed at the cover art. She recognized it as Till's face knowing his high cheekbones and neutral face from a mile away. Anjya felt safe to admire him this way. As a photo print behind a case of plastic glass, she was safe from the looming frame of his determined lips and eager hands. Safer still she was from his gaze, as haunting eyes seemed to stare deep into her being. A confusing shade of blue and grey, she could never tell what color it truly was or what he was really thinking. That the windows to his soul were shrouded in the thick mountain fog unreachable and a hazard to others. She carefully pulled the picture from the case, turning on her back she listed the picture folder her face catching the glint of his eyes in the shadows of her bedroom. Feeling the paper bend under her fingers she sighed with relief of sleep not too far behind her

"First snow of winter."

Anjya could no longer hold out from her sleep. No sooner did she closed her eyes did she go through the motions of entering her deepest slumber. Floating in the abyss of her subconscious she waited for the pull of the dream world anticipating what dreams she would delight in that night. Feeling the warm light of candles and the faint melodies of music, she had thought herself to be at the opera for the first time. Yet when she opened her eyes she was all alone. She wasn't sitting in the velvet seats of her family box above the stage, nor was she sitting with the company of the other Lords and Dame at a private concert. She was all alone in a dimly lit room. It had the familiar trappings of a 16th century salon fixtured with the finest of furnishings. Heavy tapestries hung from the wall with even heavier curtains draping over the windows. Standing from where she was sitting, Anjya found herself drawn to the window. She wanted to know what was outside a desperate want to see the sky and moon. 

"Come away from the window my love.…"

A sudden, sharp pain plunged into her chest with the sound of flesh and bone breaking in her ears. Anjyas hands shook violently, staring at the drops of blood that were on her hands.

"There is nothing for you there… Komm zu mir."

She could feel the arms of a man embracing her, pulling her away from the blocked off window. his blackened fingers gripped and kneaded her breast under the fabric of her nightgown. As wild breath beared down on her as if starving for sensation.

"Komm zurück zu mir"

Her eyes sprung open, her body no longer willing to let her continue the dream. Her skin beaded with sweat, her muscles and bones were sore. Anjya felt the phantom pain upon her breast plate, sitting up slowly her finger massaged the surface of her skin. Her fingertips gently pressing, finding no holes or broken bones to speak of. Only feeling the faint remains of an old and ugly scar. Carefully, she climbed out of bed, tucking the skirts into the mattress. she Pushed the frame back revealing elaborate sigils with a large veve for the Gehde in the middle. The chalk was undisturbed, the rings of black salt and red brick dust intact. She could see the power of the sigils pulsating, glowing a violet hue to her touch.

"That's not good, It wasn't a nightmare"

Exhaling a tired breath, she sat beside the circle and turned on her bed room lights, bringing about a soft golden glow to the room. It was a rather large bedroom with a queen sized bed, furnished with the romantic designs and nostalgic keepsakes of a young woman. Anjya pulled the bed back to its place over the magical sigils, and went to her writing desk that created beside the window. It was the only ancient artifact in her room a ghost of the late 15th century. She was careful with how she sat before it, delicate in pushing open the sliding door to a collection of old and worn out times. Some of the books had gilded pages of silver and gold, while others were hand made and sewn together at the spine. With her pen in hand, she began to write down her vision while it was still fresh in her mind. Her words sinking into the soft pages with each cautious stroke. 

"Komm zurück zu mir"

The words spoke again. Loud and clear enough for her to hear them right next to her. Her skin shivered at the sudden chill in her room, as the vapor of her breath became visible. All sound became deaf as the deepest winter, a faint smell of rot and wet wood wafted around her. Taking deep breaths Anjya stood up slowly, closing her book and placing down her pen. She turned around to see that same room again, decrypted and falling apart. The stones had been chipped away by time and the elements, forgotten and left at the mercy of the woods surrounding it. The pain returned to her chest, deeper and quickly heavy as a disappointed and broken heart. Her eyes scanned the empty room following the draft of the wind. Coming to a massive hole in the wall and a grand view of the night sky and a forest covered in snow.

"You're here."

The depth of Kölsch accents stopped her from going further. Cold, pale grey eyes peered from the darkness by the gaping hole as a tall pale man dresses in black emerged from the shadows. His face was long and worn, with lines and wrinkles around his mouth and eyes. His grayish-whitw hair was messy pulled into a ponytail, all of which was centered around a sullen and deep gaze directed at her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she had seen him before. She knew that she should be wary of him, smelling his inhumanity as one with the wind around her. But as he walked closer she didn't flee from him. She didn't speak the words to banish him, nor did she raise her shields of protection around her. Standing so close she smelled the black pine and snow of her father's home, she closed her eyes and could see the jagged mountains as fangs ripping into the skies. Anjya looked into his eyes, seeing the snow of the Stensian winter. her hands reached for him and felt the cold of his face in her palms. Fingertips filled with life danced over the lines of his age, his eyes softening to enjoy her warm caresses. His large and bloated hands reaching out to hold her, shaking with the anticipation of feeling living flesh for the first time. Though her present mind couldn't recall him, there was a nagging feeling pulling at her. A deep sadness overwhelmed her, watching him close his eyes to enjoy her touch only to grasp her hand with a firm, but shaking grip.

"...it's not time."

The man pulled himself away sinking into the darkness that cascades around them.

"Wait!"

Anjya called out chasing after him into the abyss watching as he got further and further away.

"Come Back!"

She cried louder, her own voice startling hee awake once more. She looked over to the clock on the wall, frustrated that it was already two am. She had fallen asleep at her desk and felt it in the crook of her neck. Groggily she stood up and cracked it back in place determined to rest a little more in bed. However, something brought her attention to her bedroom window. She stared at the fabric intrigued by the reddish tint of the outside sky. For some reason she was unable to recall when she closed the curtain, and was too tired tonight the logic behind it. Her feet walked towards the fabric, tugging at the rod gently to open the drapes to the darkness of the morning. What she expected was the clear night and a bright moon, but what Anjya saw sent an uneasy feeling through her gut. A wave of nervousness and resignation came over her as she watched the first snow of winter fall upon the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes to be added at a late date


	8. Spiele

By the time the sun had risen there was a decent layer of snow. It blanketed Over the streets of the city in a cascade of white as an overcast sky showed no signs of slowing down. Anjya sat beside the window of the Receptionist desk, looking at the weather outside. She could feel the warmth of fur pelts surrounding her little body as she sat close to the fireplace in her father's study. Watching the snowfall as if count the hours until he had awaken again. There were no distractions back in those early years. No TV, no radio, not even a harpsichord to collect dust from, no manner of toy for a little girl to play with. Just her and the fire, surrounded by the tomes and tools of an Alchemist.

She had called Maria earlier that morning, explaining to her what had happened with the receptionist and the badge issue. She didn't want the same embarrassment happening again and hoped that coming early would somehow solve the problem. 

"I knew Peter forgot to tell you. I'm so sorry my dear, he was supposed to send you an email of the Q-code to be scanned in." Anjya sighed with relief as she sat down for her morning tea. Getting ready for her day an hour before the sun was to rise.

"Give me a moment, and I'll send it to you."  
True to her word Maria had sent I'm the Q-code along with the time for her to use it. Learning her lesson from the day before, she made sure to reschedule her other engagements as to dedicate as.much time as she could to this project. Recalling how embarrassing the events of that morning was Anjya was determined not to let it happen again. Finding herself all alone in the recording studio. Her hard soles boots echoed in the acoustics of the main space impressed by how well the sound was carried from wall to wall. A bout of whimsy had crept into her heart with the desire to sing sprouting in her mind. 

She placed the headphones over her ears and linked them to her phone. Finding her favorite song she clicked on it and rocked to the gentle strum of a guitar. Bumming along to the slowed tempo, she began to sing: 

:I painted your room at midnight, so i know yesterday was over. I put all your books on the top shelf. Even the one with the four leaf clover… damn I'm getting older."

Her voice filled the walls of the main chamber with her eyes closed Anjya herself into the song, feeling the lyrics and breathing a soulful life into it. With her back turned age didn't see that Till came early as well. From the confines of his own booth he couldn't hear what was going on. He only saw her standing in the middle of the room saying to and fro, watching her lips move to the words of a song. He hesitated to place on the headphones, debating with himself if he should eavesdrop on a personal moment. But she looked so relaxed, her stance was confident and her throat open for each note. Turning to the channel of the main room he sat down and listened to her sing:

"Your words still serenade me. You lullabies wont let me sleep. I've never heard such a haunting melody… oh, it's killing me, you know I can barely breathe…"

In her voice, he hears the truth of her tongue, realizing that German was not her first language. Her words had the drag of a hot summer sun, symbols that flavored and waved as the cool. humid breeze. Only to draw him in with her soulful notes and resonating vibrato. He knew that rock music of America was as diverse as her people, but never had to pleasure if hearing the song she was singing. Despite hearing her sing for the first time, he knew the song suited her well. Smiling to himself as he enjoyed his own personal concert.

"Just like a crow chasing a butterfly, dandelions lost in the summer sky. When you and I were getting high as outer space. I never thought you'd slip away… I guess I was just… a little too--"

Her words fades into silence as she saw him, seeing her in such an intimate moment. She cleared her throat and paused the music, looking as if she was caught red handed doing something she wasn't supposed to.

" why did you stop?"  
"I don't want to waste studio time since you're here." 

He attempted to smile, trying to put her manners at ease, hoping to get the clever Anjya he had walked the afternoon with. Yet he was satisfied to see her so practical and professional, as she wore fashionable snow boots paired with form fitting, high waisted, jeans and an off the shoulder forest green sweater. 

"You won't be wasting my time, your voice is beautiful." He walked into the main chamber where she was, and with his phone in hand looked for the song she sang and played it back for her. He paused   
to see if it was the right one. Nodding along to the music to her, silently coaxing her along with his plan. He could have sworn he saw that look in her eyes again, her brown iris calling him out on his bull-shit. But she stops him from playing the song he wanted. Standing before him with her hands clasped over his, Anjya took a deep breath and began to sing:

"They don't want you for who you are, so you should stay inside your skin." 

He heard the hard work of vocal training, though her voice was soft and intimate she was able to fill the space around him in acapella.

"but something tells me love isn't enough but how can that be? You not so evil, I'm not so good, crazy or mean."

She sang to him in a hushed tone. Giving him what he wanted, in a way he wasn't expecting. it intrigued him that he couldn't get her to do what he expected of her, noticing the slivers of cunning with each interaction they shared. As if she was aware of that game they were playing, allowing him to feel like he was one step ahead of her. Despite her shows of cunning, she was still green and prone to her emotions. She didn't realize how close they were standing next to each other, hand in hand and inches away from either one of them making a daring move. 

You really are a little song bird…

He leaned over her inches away from making his move. He knew he was quick enough to steal a kiss. Knowing that just one would be enough to win his prize when she wasn't looking or distracted by their peers. Despite how much he wanted to kiss her, His forlorn undertone returned in the form of forced smile. Pulling away from Anjya before she could sense his hidden intentions he Understood that in some way or another it wasn't the best moment.

"I Doubt that anyone will be coming today. I don't suppose you're busy?"

"No, I had planned to spend all day with you--" she caught herself too late realizing how her words could be twisted. "Not w-with you. But making music together-- working together." Her face was blushed and her tongue betraying her. In an attempt to save face, she began to put on her coat and scarf and quickly walked to the elevator. She quietly waited for Till, who did his best to keep a hearty laugh to himself at her expense. She felt uneasy, nervous even being alone with him once again, especially after.making such a bold statement the last time they were together.

"Maybe he doesn't remember...why did I have to be so damn aloof."

Anjya thought to herself as she turned around to see that Till was still a ways down the hall. By the way he stood he looked to be on his cellphone with his back turned to her. she had no idea who he was talking to, or what it was about but one that it had to be something important.

"And I thought the Harmonic was busy…"

She looked again seeing that he was still standing in one place not one inch of his body moving. But she saw the blades of his shoulder flex and tense in an instant, a reaction that per-cursed misfortune.

"It's not your fault my lady, the sickness is over him. Just wait a while, he'll come back to you." 

Her governess would warn her. As bony, thin white fingers clasped around her little shoulders only to leave her standing in the threshold of the study. Her little brown eyes staring into the darkness of the room silent say for the crackle of a fireplace she could not see. From the darkness he would appear to her, a tall and sturdy man dressed in fine clothes of black and red. His skin was whites than snow, with hair the brilliance of winter moon. His ember eyes would look down at her, indifferent and removed from any emotions. Lips pursed tight into a permanent malaise that couldn't be lifted no matter what she did. She could feel her little lips twitching, fidgeting to say something or to make a sound, holding a tiny silk purse in her hands.  
She presented him the gift, his eyes burned hot with anger his shoulders tensed with rage, slamming the door in her face.

She blinked to see that Till had hung up the phone, finding her memory had retreated from the now. He ran his fingers through his hair, brushing it back and blowing out frustration from his lips. He had a look of irritation on his face, something else had came up and railroaded his plans.

"Did you walk here?" He finally asked after a few moments of thought. "I can give you a ride home."

"I did, but I don't want you to be late if something came up."

"Come, I'll take you home." He placed his hand on her back again, gently ushering her to the elevator unwilling to take no for an answer. Standing in the elevator with Till, she could sense his frustration about the situation as if trying to make peace with his small tokens of interaction.

"Do you sing often?" His question broke the quiet of the seemingly long elevator ride down, with the background of adult contemporary playing in the small space.

"Only on the weekends." She smiled as she zipped up her winter coat high enough to guard her scarf against the pending cold. He hadn't met a person that wouldn't want to exploit a talent he used almost every day. In a world full of people willing and hungry for fame, It was rare to see someone sitting on raw, untouched talent on purpose.

"That's a shame you have such a powerful gift." He thought his compliment would be well received but as he looked down to Anjya he saw the force behind a very narrow smile. It was clear that there was a bitterness behind this talent. Perhaps she had tried and failed before, fell victim to a greedy manager or abusive band. Either way, she had the look of a person that didn't want to talk about the subject and he did well to read the room.

"Where do you live?" He cleared his throat as a mean to ease the tension just as the elevator opened to the parking lot floor. Anjya shivered at the sudden gust of wind pulling her case and bag tightly against her body.

"Kösh Village."  
"Kösh Village...that's not an easy place to get to."  
"I know."  
"That's a three hour commute."  
"I know…"

She walked to his car, a black Volkswagen Arteon. a sense of dread came over her, that she would have to walk home anyway. Given she had already missed the afternoon train and would take another hour to wait for the connecting bus to her house. He was asking the questionnaires that always lead to a solid "no" as if to double down on her feelings, his phone rang loudly and grabbed his attention giving his deep accent a rather terrifying bite.

“It’s OK i can wait for the next train.”  
“What do you mean it’s a good foot of snow--”  
“I don't want to make you late.”

She raised her voice to him, a stern harshness that cold match his own. Knowing that if he persisted he would see a different side to Anjya. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and walked up to the tall, and clearly stressed out man.

“Whoever is calling you, might have something important to tell you. You can always drive me home another time.”

She had made up her mind and there was nothing Till could really do to change it outside of forcibly putting her in his car. His teeth grinded together in his frustrations, once again begin so close to getting her to do what he wanted only to short changed from with circumstance or her own wiles.

“Call me when you get home.”  
“I will.”  
“I mean it…” he stepped closer to her, giving a darker feel to his looming height unknowingly fencing Anjya against his side of the car. Her heart was beating fast under her skin, the haunting feeling returning to her ass he looked up to the imposing aura. Yet underneath his machismo she cold smell the desires of a starving man. Stronger now than it was at the park, she felt her body growing weak at the knees, that if he were to inch any closer, her part in their game would be over. He would win if she lost focus. “Call me.”

Anjya nodded obediently, giving her word and bade him goodbye walking back to the elevator that would go back to the main lobby.

"That's twice you’ve avaided me." He could hear der Jager growling in his mind. The silent anticipation of the Tall Man gripped the handle of the steering wheel, while he sat by and stalked Anjya until she made it into the chamber with only the fleeting image of her brown eyes and nervous look left in his thoughts.

"There won’t be a third time"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cannonically its the 7th chapter, but whos really counting anyway?


	9. Sonne

Her moans were empty and lifeless.

Dry and phoned in he watched Nina go down on him, with listless, irritated eyes.  
She had called him away from Anjya for this? A half-assed blow-job he wasn't even aroused for with Nina none the wiser. But she knew how to get his attention, what words to say and how to sound over the phone to get Till to come to her. With her hands firm against his thighs, she was certain he wasn't going anywhere. Anchoring her body between his legs her lips locked around his thicker sex.

"Her trip must not have gone well…"  
His brow twitched and his fingers gripped into the leather sofa feeling the pinch of enamel going up and down his shaft.

"She's using too much teeth."

He looked around his apartment to distract from the discomfort, noticing how empty it looked. He didn't realize how unwelcoming the modern designs and sharp corners made his home. With shades of grey, black and white there seemed to be no room for color, no place for the warmth he wanted. His gaze caught her sitting by the window. Anjya and her warm skin basking in the afternoon sun. Her hair was fluffed about in a messy mound of curls, wearing an over-sized shirt that on anyone else would kill their curves. She had a cup of tea or coffee in her hand, eyes distant as if there was something on her mind. 

What are you thinking about Hessischen?

His fingers reached out softly touching the skin of her bare shoulders. feeling on the soft sun kissed warmth it gave him. She shivered at his touch a soft tint of pink glowing on her cheeks as she turned to look at him. She was so close, he could smell her natural scent mixing the musk of the oral sex he was getting. It was making him hard fantasizing about kissing her, imagining what her full lips would feel like, gripping Nina's head harder at the taste of his elusive prize. She looked so kind, glancing at him with eyes that were excited and willing to please. Till was more than happy to oblige her having an opportune moment to teach his little pet. He guided her to kneel between his legs, cradling her lower jaw in his strong grip. Feeling the cushion of her lips with his own hands teasing himself before rewarding his impatient member with her feathery kiss. Wrapped his fingers in her thick tresses, pushing her down into his lap. He crept slowly into her mouth feeling her lips wrap around his girth while pressing against her tongue.

This has to be a dream.  
His eyes rolled back as he allowed himself this indulgence. Relishing in his role as her guide into a world that was new to Anjya. He didn't know where her mouth ended or his cock began feeling the heat of her face grow hotter with each stroke down her throat. Pushing his full length down, he could feel her gagging the muscles tightening around him the way an unbroken pet would react.

"Relax little bird… you'll hurt yourself you don't." He continued to control her motions bobbing her head up and down until she finally relented, allowing all of him to enter. 

"Good girl…"

he gritted his teeth. A rush of hot cum pooling down her neck. She was jerking under pressure of his hold on her, refusing to let her head up for air. It wasn't until he felt the vibration of his cellphone did Till realize that it was Nina choking on his cock. His hands instinctively released her allowing her to gasp and cough for air with his empty eyes scoffing her. He took little interest in Nina as she quickly rushed to the bathroom, presumably to clean herself of the mess she gotten herself into. Cursing at Till as she slammed the door shut behind her; an action that would have bothered him before. He looked at the screen of his phone, his heart sank when he realized he had just missed Anjya's call. Without a second thought he dialed her back again nervously waiting for her to answer him back.

"Hello?" Her voice sounded almost childlike over the phone, a detail he couldn't help but laugh at.

"Hey, I'm sorry I missed your call."  
"It's alright. I was worried that I had called at a bad time. How was your meeting?"

"A waste, the presenter choked." He looked over to the bathroom hearing the water run in the sink and sound of Nina brushing her teeth. "I had to think of other things to keep awake."

"Isn't it rude to daydream during a meeting?"  
"You've never daydreamed before?" He smiled at the slight pause of her words, imagining her round face thinking of something clever to say.

"Only Chaperones answer questions with a question."  
"Only children take that long to reply, don't tell me I stumped you clever girl."

He enjoyed the banter, a smug smile on his face at the notion that he was getting under her skin in a playful way, showing her that he was serious in the game they were playing.

"...i called just as I promised."  
"I see, you made it home ok?"  
"Yes, it snowed again just as I walked in the door."  
"I'm glad you made it on time, if only there was a way for you to get there sooner." He fixed his pants and walked towards his study, locking the door behind him just as Nina exited the bathroom.

"You looked like you were conflicted, I didn't want to be the reason you missed something important."

"What if I did?"  
"Huh?"

It took him a moment to realize what he had just asked. A moment too late to take it back as his words hung in the silence between them. He had made the first move, and now it was up to him to either back-track what was said or double down. Till chose the latter.

"What if you were that important something. And I missed my chance because you forced me to let you walk home?" He knew he stumped her,. listening to her think for over a minute. Waiting for her to either fall into the trap, or walk away entirely. 

"I don't know you well enough to take advantage of your kindness…"

He could hear the falter in her voice making her already soft tone harder to hear.

"But you know me well enough to tease a date. You weren't so coy that you couldn't tempt me with a promise."  
"You forget yourself Mr. Sandmann." She didn't falter then, with the bite returning to her words knowing that he had reached his limit with her for the moment.

"My Dame Markova, I didn't mean to offend you." A smooth playfulness bounced from his voice over the phone knowing it would be a good start to sate whatever irritation was brewing. "Allow myself to appease you of my hasty words. Would an offering of music and good food suffice?" He heard the sigh of conflict, imagining Anjya's face with her brown eyes weighing her options. 

"We can have dinner at my home, you can bring whatever items makes you comfortable." he sat at his desk and began to write down the date for their dinner rightfully assuming that she would say yes.

"I can come over tomorrow, will you send me your address?" He could've sworn his heart skipped a beat hearing those wonderful words from her lips. 

"I'll text it to you in a moment, will 5pm be ok?"  
"Yeah, I'll see you then."

He stayed on the line long after she hung up unable to end the call with her. Even as he looked over various recipes, he kept his phone screen on her name and number, living proof of how long they stayed on the phone. Till barely looked up when Nina left his apartment, slamming the door behind her. He knew for sure that he didn't want to bring Anjya to his apartment. Lamenting at how hostile and unwelcoming he decorated his main home to be. Or worse, how freely Nina seemed to move within it. It made more sense to host her in a different place, somewhere quiet and secluded. 

"She said she lives in Kösh Village. It should t be too far from that place."

He opened the drawer under his desk, looking at a set of keys that have barely been used. The copper toned metals seemed to weigh heavily in his hands, knowing that he had not been in that home for quite some time. Without a second thought he quickly dresses himself and left his apartment. For the next few hours were spent shopping for groceries, cleaning up the home and airing out rooms. for some reason he wanted everything to be perfect, even going as far as to buy a whole new stock of wine and spirits, just for her. He knew this was just a first date, as he never even did this much for his first wife. Yet the need to have everything go right was starting to consume him.

"I don't want to give her a reason to refuse me."

He thought over and over again as he took some time to freshen himself up standing in the Luke warm waters of the master shower room. It had creaked and moaned for a few minutes, and took even longer to give up the hot water not that it mattered to him. 

"She'll be here in a few hours. If I catch her in time I can pick her up from the station." 

Perhaps the hot water was too relaxing, the pressure of the showerhead just right as the muscles in his body relaxed completely. He had only sat on his bed for a short moment to dry off, intending to stay awake for her call. He underestimated how exhausted and drained his body had been and found himself falling into a deep sleep.

"You look so tired my love."

A soft female voice spoke to him in the darkness. Soft, supple skin tickled his fingertips as his hands instinctively stroked the divots of a woman's hip. Her form felt familiar to him small in mass and petite frame, reminding him of Nina's body. Her scent wafted over his nose with a heavy perfume of rosewater and lavender. Her Breath warm and engaging that lulled the energy of a postcoitual conversation. There was a sensation that he knew this woman. Deep down he felt his body stirred with the dance of nostalgia. There might have been love in his heart with the way he was tenderly holding her. 

"You spend so much time on your duties taking care of these lands. Taking care of me… let's go to the concert."

The voice was familiar, sly and manipulative as he felt the coils of a snake wrapped around his throat. The iced touch of a blade tapped along the length of his chest. The audio circled above his breastplate, the sound of metal meeting flesh directly over his heart. Despite himself, there was no fear in Till. There was a cloud of ignorance over him that the darkness had provided. He couldn't see the danger in front of him, nor could he see the face of his present lover. lost in the sensation of touch, sound and scent. Unconcerned with the truth right in front of him laced with betrayal.

"The new family will be there. You must introduce us to them. I hear they came from the north, a single father and a very pretty daughter." The dagger ripped into his body, snapping through his breast pate and tugging at the skin 

"She must be a lonely child, no mother to protect her. No father to guide her. Easy to befriend… easy to control." She twisted and tore through tendons and veins until the cold steel impaled his heart, pinning him to a cold and wet surface.

“Just the way you like it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had to make a quick edit.   
this is a top notch fanfic and my readers deserve the best!  
that being said, i had to split this into two chapters again. it wasn't flowing right as a uber long chapter and it felt rushed to do so. i like my fires to last the long night. As i hope you will too.


	10. Mein Teil

His heart wasn’t beating.

There was a deathly chill about his body, as every inch of himself felt cold as ice. The bitter gale of a winter storm was blowing past him, as he looked down to see broken shards of glass at his feet, and the metal of armored boots. As he looked up he couldn't make out who was in front of him, only seeing the blurred colors and details making out a white man with white hair and red clothes.

"she belongs to me… I love her.”

He watched as the figure stood there in silence, staring at the featureless face that slowly came into focus. His red clothes were that of medieval armor, made in the style and function of the great Prussian Empire, more than certain he was the lord of a great and noble house.

"You can't take her away from me.”

His throat was raw with his blood pooling in his esophagus. Spitting it out as the black liquid smelled of decay. The man had begun to speak, his voice deeper that the darkest night with the weight of an ancient being standing before a mere mortal. However, Till could not understand what he said only guessing that his words rubbed him the wrong.

“It is my blood that runs through your seed, and it will be my tree that bears the fruit of your name!”

In an instant his voice was silence,followed by an unimaginable pain. He heard the flesh and skin rip, his jaw snapped and dislocated from his skull. A metallic smell marking the moment of primeval savagery. His nerves were overloading as the bitter gale seemed to blow  ** _through _ ** his neck. Sensing that his body was going into immediate shock. He saw nothing but white as the man seemed to be standing right in front of him. He was taller than any person he knew, with eyes that disturbed his soul. There were burning as searing coals, with the sclera similar to that of a wolf.

“Your name will disappear. Your bloodline will never see the light of day. Not in this life, not in the next ...”

The blade of a sword sunk deeper into the wall behind him, impaling his body to the enchanted stone. He could feel the power of an ancient curse anchoring him to the foundation of his castle. 

“Eternal suffering awaits you Traitor.”

The words echoed into the darkness of night until he was awakened by the light of the afternoon sun. The bright orange light burning crimson streaks into the darkening skies. 

_ How long was I asleep? _

He thought to himself, rising from his spot on his bed. He realized he had fallen asleep right after his shower, his sheets still wet from the water that had now dried on his body. He ran his fingers through his hair, and rubbed the kinks out from his neck. Subconsciously feeling his throat and chest, as if to make sure everything was still where it ought to be.

_ These nightmares are going to be the death of me.  _

Sitting on his bed Till took a moment longer to ground himself. Feeling his heartbeat and his lungs breathing in the warmer air he finally put himself to use and began to prepare for his guest. He took his time getting dressed, carefully looking through his closet for trousers and shirts. 

He kept in mind Anjya's quick wit remembering how she suggested him to be more relaxed.

"Relaxed huh?"

As his fingers buttoned up his shirt, he thought back to their walk in the park. Pausing in those moments where she was within his grasp, inches away from a kiss that she suddenly refused. He thought he could be satisfied with kissing her hand. Pressing his lips again the heat of her hand, with the faint scent of a floral oil and lotion lingering on her palms. He stole a glance when she wasn't looking, peeking at the hint of scarlet in her eyes. He knew the look of arousal when he saw it, seeing it clear as day on her. Her lips quivered in the biting cold, breath hotter than or was shown before. 

She wanted him, and he knew it.

But Anjya wasn't a normal woman. She wasn't the average millionaire or a member of the music industry the way he was. She was a product of old-world traditions and old-world money. She moved in certain circles that even he had little access to. She was the first chair violinist for the Stensian Harmonic Symphony, trained on how to act, speak and move as a Noble Lady who in turn would be courted by Noble Gentlemen.

Anjya lived and breathed the title of Dame, unable to freely act on her whims. Sensing that she wasn't used to the sarcasms or mannerisms of an average man. Let only being pursued by one. Feeling her fingers on his lips made him understand the position she was in, but in allowing him to kiss her bare skin Till knew that she felt the same way in some form. He adjusted the suspenders over his broad shoulders as he fixed the cufflinks to his shirt. He looked put together for an almost perfect first date, wearing a simple white shirt and dark brown trousers with the added edge of his brow piercings and jet black hair. Even going the extra mile to shave the scruff from his face.

It was 4:30 by the time he was finished, feeling the nervousness of a closing deadline. He quickly gathered his winter coat and shoes, walking to his car with bare socks. He turned it on having the wait the moment needed for the car to warm up properly.

_ I should call her to let her know I'm coming… God forbid she takes the train again. _

Till connected the phone to the hands free dashboard and presses her name on the touch screen. placing the call on speaker as he took time to put on his shoes, waiting for her to answer.

“Hello?” her sweet voice echoed through his car. “Is that you Till?” voice echoed in a strange way, given the impression that she was either outside or in a bare walled space.

"Yes it me, are you home?" he gingerly spoke while putting in her address and turning on then ignition. The engine revved softly as he pulled out from his parking spot, and began the drive to his destination.

“I haven't left yet if that’s what you mean.” 

“good. I am coming to pick you up, I should be there in about 10 minutes ”

“Oh Till you don't have to--”

“Anjya, understand the injury you give my pride when you refuse my courtesy…" his voice was stern but easy on her ears as she felt the blush growing on her face, both out of arousal and slight irritation.

"You should know that I am a prideful man. I’m TELLING you i’m coming to pick you up.”

He smiled at the deep sigh of her relenting brattiness. Imagining what she would look like if he said that to her face. He hung up the phone before she cold protest, using all of his focus to make it to her home safely. Anjya was bewildered, confused and a bit annoyed. She was already stressed out, rushing to get ready after spending the better part of 2 hours picking out a dress. She was unsure of what to wear, she had too many ball gowns to choose from and an array of sweaters and seasonal attire far too casual.

_ He'll be here in 10 mins… damn it just make a choice! _

She picked a dress she was most comfortable in and quickly slipped it on. With time slipping away she went about running between her kitchen the foyer. Making sure she had everything and double checking what she packed away. She made frequent stops by the foyer mirror, applying her makeup and putting on her earrings. Her eyes looked over the wine red colored eyeshadow and painted lips. For the first time she wore a bold color, feeling faint to the call of womanhood. 

"Its just a dinner date, I'm sure it doesn't mean anything." She told herself as she rubbed a small drop of  _ Oshun _ oil on her neck.

"I'm sure he asks every pretty girl to dinner…"

She slipped on a pair of shoes gifted to her: 5in heels with metal studded straps. Looking at the full length mirror, she glimpsed over at herself. As a mixture of confidence and first date jitters began to come over her. It was 2mins to five when she checked her watch. Five-o-clock when she collected her coat and peeked through the door. At Five-ten she had went to the bathroom and checked the stove, and by Five-thirty she was halfway through cup of peppermint tea. There were no missed calls on her phone, no texts or voicemails left behind. Her foot was tapping nervously on the hardwood floor. Phone in hand and thoughts racing, Anjya took a deep breath and checked the time again.

_ He has 5 mins before I cancel. _

Before she had begun to put away her good herbs and spices the sharp sound of speeding car echoed in her neighborhood. Peeking through the widow she saw the manic parking skills of Till's car. He cursed in his native Saxon dialect, slamming the door and rummaging through the back seat. Glimpsing at the crack of his cool demeanor.

_ What is he doing? _

She asked herself while watching him go through the motions of catching his balance on the black ice.Anger widened his eyes as he mouthed a particularly vulgar slur. once he caught his balance, Till caught a glimpse of a curious Anjya peering out her door window. Nervously and faking the calm he approached the door with a bouquet of flowers in hand. Hoping that she would look past his disheveled look and see his trying smile. His calm relief soured as she opened the door with the chain lock still in place sizing him up with a blank look of disinterest. 

As she stood by the door to her home ajar, Till got a good preview of the dress she was wearing, a burgundy turtle-neck dress that hugged every curve of her body. Upon her feet she wore no stocking,with smooth legs blending into matching black heels. Her face was flawless with subtle makeup with only her lips being painted a wine colored red. Her curly hair, soft and feathered was brushed back into a low ponytail as wild curls and coils rested upon her shoulders. 

“Anjya..hear me out” 

she looked to the small token of his interest as he presented his appeasement, noicing the vibrant hue of the winter roses as a whole dozen of them illuminated his grasp. Yet she met his intense, and expectant stare with the sudden closing of her front door and the shutting off of the porch light. 

“Come now Hessienchen, open the door.”

Silence answered him. He tilted his head around towards the living room window, catching a glimpse of a pissed off Anjya. But she didnt take off any of her clothes, or remove any makeup. Even her things were still packed at the door ready to go. “I would never leave you hanging like this, my phone died on the way here.”

“keine Ausreden. Herr Sandmann.” she called through the door loud enough for him to hear her. Still sitting in the foyer and stuck in her mood. She had no time to listen to his words, and didnt want to hear his reasons. He was late,  **very late ** and he didn’t even call her.

“Open the door Anjya, i can’t make it up to you standing in the cold…” he spoke in a sing-song kind of way, unable to see the wary look on her face as he did so.

“Wenn du die Tür nicht öffnest, werde ich dir singen, bis du es tust~” he began to belt in a operatic voice standing by her door with confidence. “Ich bin sicher, deine Nachbarn werden es lieben, mein Lied für dich zu hören~ mein Lied für dich… Anjya~” his voice soared to the heavens. As a neighbor's dog howls along with him, eggin Till on to sing louder.

“was stimmt nicht mit dir? Are you trying to cause a scene?”

Finally, she opened the door, glaring at him with obsidian eyes. He looked down and tilted his head towards her, presenting the flowers once again with a cheshire grin.

“I’ll only stop, if you come with me~ we planned a date, and it must be honored--”

“Bitte, Bitte lets go.”

She waved his hands for him to stop as she finally came out of the house with her winter coat, pulling along what she needed to cook with. He gave the flowers, and took her rolling bag in his hands, exchanging it with her as he lifted the case with little effort; and stowed it in the back seat. She expected his chivalry to end there, but was pleasantly surprised by his attentiveness by his opening of the passenger side door and the gentle holding of her hand. 

“There is no reason I can give that will be enough. If you will allow me, I would like to chauffeur you to our date. Where i can properly apologize.” he rose her fawnish skin to his lips, placing a quiet kiss upon the back of her hand. Looking up to meet her gaze expecting her bratty ways to linger. yet he saw the reflection of the sunset in her large brown eyes; staring at him with an awe he didn't expect, a sweet and dove-like gaze. He could barely recall the drive back to his second home. His mind only focused on the road ahead and the lingering image of Anjya’s sunset gaze. Occasionally he would look over to her. Watching as she quietly held her flowers and sniffed their aroma.

“These are my favorite flowers.” her soft voice broke the silence closing her eyes to the nostalgia of the scent surrounding her. “I can't remember the last time I received them, let alone a dozen.”

“Mondblumen des Winters? I’m glad I was able to find some for you.” Till sensed that her irritation was now fully pacified, a weight lifting off from his shoulders. Once inside, he helped her place her rolling cart in the kitchen, and showed her where the coat closet was. Watching her take off her coat as he breathed the wine, his eyes trailed to the modest plunge in the back of her dress. How her skin seemed brighter compared to the dark color of the dress, and the setting of candle light around them. His fingers tightened around the neck of the bottle, her body bending at the side to take off her shoes in his home, giving him a slight peek at the roundness of her shapely hips and ass. 

_ This is just dinner. _

He told himself, putting on his best airs and walking up to her with a glass of wine in hand. A bright, and open smile dancing upon her face as Anjya accepted his hospitality. His home was filled with the smells and spices of another world, watching as his guide cooked him one of her favorite meals. Laughter and playful banter echoed from wall to wall. Anjya chastising and mocking Till, as he stole spoonfuls of the Jambalaya that she wasn’t done cooking. And laughed at his pain when he ate a bite that was much too hot, and much too spicy.

“Ahh, it hurts” he dropped the spoon compelled to finish the food in his mouth, while his manly pride kept him from spitting the helping of pepper jelly in the sink.

“Ha, ha--looks like I've found your weakness Jagermann.” she laughed merrily doing her best to hold in her taunts, as he watched the tall burly man look for a way to quell the caspian of true creole spice. She watched him go through a glass of wine and a swig of water, his face bunching up and sweating to the bitter taste that was still lingering. “ serves you right for being so impatient.”

She waved him over and wiped the sweat from his face, and carefully patting his tear stained cheeks dry. In her tinted mind Anjya didn't realize how close he was standing to her, how close her back was to the dining room table. Just as she was before, her concerns were only on his care. In that moment he thought back to her caring hands in that dimly lit dressing room. How compassionate her touch was, how close their bodies had become and how easy it would've been to kiss her right there in that moment. He moved too fast for either of them to stop it. Acting upon his whim, Till stole Anjya’s first kiss. His lips wedged between the soft borders of her face, tasting her for the first time. Deep and passionate he felt the anger of the spice melt away, a fulfillment of desire finally put to rest. He broke from their embrace, releasing her once he realized what he did.

“I’m sorry…” he whispered in a pained moan, with his forehead hovering above hers. with this lukewarm hands framing her face there was a look of surprise in her eyes. She was caught off guard in her causality with him, her vulnerability taken advantage of in a moment of intimacy.

“I’m sorry…” His hands relaxed around her face, his thumbs caressing her full soft cheeks that lead down to the faintness of her freshly kissed lips.

_What am I doing? I shouldn’t want this. _

She reached for his hands, feeling the coolness of his touch upon her overheated palms, with every intention of prying away from his grasp. Despite what she was telling herself, Anjya enjoyed his affections. A part of her melted in his kiss, blown away by his impulsiveness, and brazen nerve.

_I can’t want this…_

Her eyes glanced upwards to the intense gaze before her, a look of steel blue eyes thought seemingly wallowing in sadness, burned with the knowing of what he wanted. He looked at her as woman. He saw **_HER_** as a woman, and he wanted her as a woman.

_But I.._

He wasn’t like the other men that would court her, meek, arrogant and unsure of themselves. He wasn’t forced to interact with her due to familiar obligations or with the prospect of striking deals with her father. He didn’t kiss her because of her name, and what paths that could open for him. Nor was he friendly with her just to have a quick fuck. She felt his honesty from the impact of his kiss, the honesty of a man who once isolated had now found a means of companionship. Even now as she felt his touch cradling her face, her heart was melting to the prospect of affections that were as forbidden to her as the blood of a dead man.

_I want him._

She returned his kiss, ardent and clumsy. An intoxicating mixture of innocent affections and a blooming voracity pulled her into her latent desires. His hands held her tight, taken back by the sudden show of strength from such a little frame. He was relieved that she didn’t reject him, and pulled her in close, deepening the sordid kiss. Each moment they remained interlock, there was a teasing of a memory just out of reach.

_“Anjya… are you sure this is what you want?” _

he pulled away, pausing her with the refusal of another kiss, watching as she lurched forward towards his avoiding lips. His mighty hands slowly rubbing down her frame gripping at each divot of her curves. Pulling on her dress he felt the softer fabric of lingerie, tempting his fingertips with the skin underneath.

Generous hands lifted her buxom frame onto the dining room table. He lingered close enough to tease a kiss, distracting her from his position between her legs. His hips pushed her thighs wider apart, grinding his suffocated member against the cloth of her lingerie, dripping with essence.

She released the moans held back for so long. She pressed her face against his own, pulling at the loose collar around his neck. “Please Till...” His eyes rolled back to the sound of her tempting wails, a desperate mating call he longed to hear. Touching and feeling her writhing and eager body his hands tugged and peeled away her dress, reveling a rather brazen cut out teddy. Willing hands kneaded her tender breast, the supple flesh fitting perfectly into his grip, spilling between each of his fingers under the lace of her teddy. His thrust applied pressure to her swelling nub, soaking the bulge of his pants with her dripping sex

_Don’t say that... don’t give me permission._

Till buried his nose in her scent enveloping his face in the gracious mounds of her plentiful breast. Her floral perfume mixed with the citrus of her cunt, his mouth salivating at the thought of having a taste of the fruit that was once out of reach. Finally, he would have his fill of the food forbidden to him.

Till knelt and enclosed her cunt with his mouth. He lifted her legs with ease, resting them on his shoulders, while keeping a firm grip on her thighs. he went to work savoring his new pet watching her abdomen flex and contract with each stroke of his tongue. Her breast heaved under the thin fabric of her undergarments while sharp, quick breaths pushed out of her lungs. Slow and drawn out, he lapped the nectar of her berry as it came pooling out of her. Reveling in the citrus-sweet taste and sweaty tang of an aroused virgin, his long tongue slipped into her opening. In and out she felt the strange, flexible appendage make it home inside her, curling and bending, flicking and rolling on her pulsating clit.

_What is this feeling, am I on fire… why am I so hot?_

She thought her body was melting into another existence, unsure if it was sweat, cum or other bodily fluids that threatened to drown Anjya in her own lust. Half of her wanted it to stop, unsure of how far she wanted to go as the sensations were proving to be too much. Her hands didn’t know what to do, whether to touch herself and risk his ire, or to push him away and risk losing the best she’s ever felt. Caught between selfishness and her fear she didn’t know how to react to the hot/cold sensations that injured her poor clit. Her moaning grew louder as he made slow work of her, savoring each tasty moment. The tremors of her legs grow closer and stronger together the longer he took his time. he could feel her small entrance squeezing his tongue as fresh cum dripped on his taste buds. He pulled away from her slick entrance, his scent guiding him to the neglected clit that pulsated with neediness. He smiled watching her on the brink of orgasm, watching in amazement of her body. Till sucked and flicked on her clit, while he slowly inserting his large and thick middle finger. Her eyes sprang open, welting with tears. Her fingers grasped onto his arm as if trying to stop him from going any deeper. Yet the look in his eyes were dangerous, scolding her quietly as the full frame of his body hunched over her. Till sharply pried her hands from him, pinning her wrist over her head and going through the pelvic motions of what was to come. 

“süßes Mädchen.” 

His voice soothed over her trembling breath with his finger resting inside her folds allowing her tightness to be used to the size of his digit.

“I won’t hurt you…” he sleepily inserted another finger inside her, gazing onto her crumbled face. He wanted her to feel at ease with him, to fully open herself to him, making measured and meticulous work of her sex. Despite the exquisite reactions and sounds she made, Till knew she was holding back. There was a part of her that didn’t want to let go of control, unwilling to submit to him.

_“I will teach you pleasure.”_

He leaned over planting thorny kisses upon her neck, nipping at the exposed skin of her throat. Till continued to finger her, increasing the intensity of each pump between her legs mocking the motions that have yet to come. His hand was cradled and pressed against her labia, rocking his in a steady motion, his palm felt the brunt of the heat wafting from her cave. He lurched at the discomfort growing form his neglected thickness. Feeling the monstrosity twitch and pulse in its anger, demanding of him to give what was owed. He was playing with his food, toying with her body. while he watched her gyrate to the motions of his pleasuring her, her hips swaying and pressing forward to his charms. Pulling his fingers deeper than he anticipated, his own pined whimpers escaped the control of his visage. the hunger of a beast grew inside him. His tongue roughly plunged into her mouth, roughly kissing her, exposing his true hunger, with the taste of her matter still lingering in his mouth.

_“I will teach you to pleasure me."_

He lifted her from the table. Anjya floated in her absent mind, still high from the massive influx of endorphins while her head resting against his neck. Her fingers hung over his shoulders to support herself as she seemed to drift around in a haze of pleasure. She didn’t remember when they moved to the bedroom, or how she happened to slip out of all her clothes. Her finger tips danced along the cool surface of cotton sheets, feeling the relief of the crisp fabric pulled along her burning skin.

His silhouette walked towards the bed. The sound of his belt unbuckling, and the discarding of his pants cemented a feeling of unease in her. Anjya watched his six-foot frame loom in the shadows making motions that she couldn’t see. the whole of his bare features where shown to her, a fine example of well-kept body as the shadows of his muscles contrasted to his insipid skin. Even his Cheshire smile did little to ease her anxiety, sensing her undoing drawing closer and closer.

“don’t be afraid Little Bird”

he distracted her with tender strokes and gentle words, sliding the sheets away from her lower body. His aura overpowered her, subconsciously making her bow to his whim. she was lowered to the bed by his overbearing body, with the muscles of his neck and shoulders tensing as he hunched over her body. She caught a glimpse of his engorged phallus as it twitched freely with expectancy. His swollen tip emerged from the folds of uncircumcised skin. It dripped of the pre-cum brought about by his own doing, its smell overpowering to her senses. Homing in on the intense heat radiating from between her legs, he looked down to catch a glimpse of her virginity carefully running his fingers between her sweltering lips.

“It won’t hurt.” He spoke, kissing Anjya deeply while he stroked the monstrosity between his legs. It was swollen with his lust, thicken by many nights longing for the moment when her innocence become his trophy. His hips wedge between the friction of her pelvis. Pressing his firm muscle against the fluff of her foopa, he broke in her hymen stretching her out to his circumference. The size of his cock was admirable, feeling himself sink deeper into her body, impaling Anjya with each inch. “I’ll be gentle.”

She tensed up feeling the base of his cock against her clit. Shaking uncontrollably with his arms wrapping tightly around her. She could feel every muscle in his body flex and shift with his positioning of his hips, burying his knees into the bedding. She couldn’t have imagined how big he would be, or that he could fit all of himself inside her entrance, that was no more bigger than a small button.

“I’ll make you feel good.” Till rocked his hips in gentle lunges. Pacing each stroke with her deep breathing. “I’ll make you feel beautiful.” He hugged her tighter in their deep connection, staring into her brown eyes that glowing in the haunting light of the moon. She stared at him with their starlight, glances mixed with the obvious pain and the growing pleasure of his motions.

“Anjya…” he whispered her name lacing his fingers into her hair, pulling her head back with each gyration. unable to move from the strength of his hold on her he aligned himself for a deeper fuck, lifting her hips slightly off the bed and onto his waist. He could have a better look of his work, finding preference in seeing his sword stained with his claim. He had a better sound listening to the acoustics of her intoxicating moans and whimpers. His hands sculpted and molded her body as if it was clay; shaping her in his likeness. He breathed down her neck, their hands pressed together while he took her from behind vigorously and drowned by his lust. The pastel blue of the early morning sky flooded into the room, as Till paced himself with each thrust.

“Fuck…”

he couldn’t remember the last time he had been this deep, kissing the back of her head going harder and deeper with each genuine emotion. His moans grew louder, the base in his voice deeper and bestial until he ruptured inside her. Pumping hot streams of his seed into her body, he collapsed over her, his arms shaking at his own dead weight. Their bodies reacting in similar ways, convulsing with the intensity of their respective orgasms. Her walls had clamped down tightly over his intrusive member, unwilling to let go until every drop was gone. As he in turn was happy to stay anchored in her harbor. Scooping her into his arms he laid with her until her body released him, slowly retracting his sleepy cock. Her ebony body glistened with sweat and fluid that was now coming down form the sex induced high. Tenderly, Till covered Anjya with his bedspreads holding her close in his arms. Listening to her fall asleep in his embrace, lastly getting what he always craved.

_Little bird, what have you done to me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just so you know, its not easy being sleezy...
> 
> German Translations:
> 
> -keine Ausreden. Herr Sandmann: no excuses. Mr. Sandman
> 
> -Wenn du die Tür nicht öffnet, werde ich dir singen, bis du es tust: If you do not open the door, I will sing to you until you do it
> 
> -Ich bin sicher, deine Nachbarn werden es lieben, mein Lied für dich zu hören~ mein Lied für dich… Anjya: I'm sure your neighbors will love to hear my song for you ~ my song for you ... Anjya
> 
> -was stimmt nicht mit dir: what's wrong with you?
> 
> \- Bitte, Bitte: please, please
> 
> -Mondblumen des Winters: Moon Flowers of winter or Winter Roses.  
-süßes Mädchen: sweet girl
> 
> dialogue/chapter notes:  
\- i'm sure this should be a given, but just encase it's not. all internalized thoughts are italicized text.  
-this took a loooooooooong time to finish, a lot of long nights, and brainstorming to bring you this long awaited union. trust me there will be more to come in ways you didn't expect it. but for now enjoy this little nugget of debauchery.


	11. Nach

There was an unease that lingered in her mind, a sinking pain that wouldn't go away. She felt the details of her childhood room: the soft white curtains that wafted in the summer breeze and the duck feather cushion of her bed and pillows. The scents of sandalwood and magnolia interlaced in the threading of that early morning breeze. The birds were chirping outside her window, the sounds of nature mingling with the music of Sunday service and the making of a big breakfast.

"darlin' are you up yet?"

Her grandmother's voice called out to her from the floorboards under her bed, calling her sleepy body to rise from the blankets. "Hurry on now yer breakfast is gettin’ cold." her stomach growled, she could almost taste the fried eggs and Beignets filled with strawberry jam. She imagined them steaming and fresh, sitting suspiciously next to the mason jars full of pepper-jelly and honey. Though her grandmother always threatened they would be all gone, she always managed to save two just for her.

_ “I’m coming O-mère” _She wanted to wake up, to see her O-mère flowing in her cotton white dress that seemed to dance with each step she took. Her smiling eyes narrowing at the mischievous little girl that dared to sleep in on a Sunday morning. The joy on her face wouldn't last, she felt something writh and slither about her bed, slinking under her covers

“O-mè…” she called out in the tone of a scared child. “O-mè!” she called out again, louder and broken as she felt the creature shift closer to her. 

“Anni… Anni baby what’s wrong.” she couldn't hear her grandmother hurrying out the kitchen, drowned out by the sound of her own hysterical crying, repeating her grandmother's name over and over again. The hot tears stained her reddened cheeks, her little fingers turning white that she clutched the quilts so hard. 

“Anni sweetie, its OK… listen to me, listen to your O-mè.” she clasped her hands upon her cheeks, as Anjya looked deep into her cool gray eyes and the rich ebony of her skin. “Dry your tears cher, and tell yo’ O-mè what’s wrong.”

Her voice hiccuped between sobs as her own welting eyes looked down the creatures that steadily inching closer to her, horrified at its path between her legs.

“T-the coach-whip... It’s in my bed O-mè.” her grandmother gave her a worried look, a kind of worry that she wasn’t expecting as she slowly reached for her hands and carefully uncurled them from the nearly torn fabric. Her rich brown skin wrapped her hands with love, her grey eyes gazed upon she quilted blankets as she carefully uncovered her legs. Legs that were stained with blood that came from nowhere. The ugly color had seeped into her white night gown turning it a rusty brown from her abdomen to the hem.

“I saw it… I know I did.” She began to cry again fearing that the creature had some how made its way inside her. She expected her grandmother to glare at her in anger, a scolding for messing up her good sheets, or worse yet having to pluck a branch from the birch tree. She closed her eyes waiting for the inevitable _ pop _. But instead she felt the warmth of her bosom, and the gentle beating of her heart. Her grandmother wrapped her arms around Anjya, enveloping her in jasmine and coffee.

“bébé bud, that was no coach whip mean to harm you, t’was Ayida-Weddo, gifting you with a terrible blessing.”

As she closed her eyes to the comfort of her grandmother, she opened them once more to the world around her. She looked over to see a night stand that wasn’t hers, her fingers wrapped in bedding that wasn’t hers. The bed was not as soft as her own as it firmly cradled her curves with targeted support.

_ Where am i? _

she sat up in the strange bed, taking her time to collect herself and her thoughts. She had agreed to a date with Till, that much she recalled. She remembered the roses he gifted her, and the ride to his home. She smiled at his face sweltering with the bite of the pepper-jelly and she recalled with clarity his sudden, but powerful kiss. She touched her lips recalling the sensation, how confident he was firm in his action to see it through. It wasn’t what she imagined her first kiss to be, and the more she recalled the rest of the night it didn’t go at all as she imagined. 

_ this... wasn’t what I expected. _

She felt the weight of his experience. It was overwhelming how much control he had, knowing already what places to touch, kiss and lick. The way he used his tongue as a tool for pleasure with no fear of any part of her body. Recalling the ways he pleasured her sent chills down her spine, feeling her sex contract between her legs as the ghost of his fingers slipped inside her. Her toes curled at the thought of his tongue lapping the cum that was freshly dripping from her lips, staining his sheets with her fresh scent. she imagined his large hands wrapped around her thighs, fingers spreading her open as a ripe mango to devour her. Anjya leaned against the cold of the headboard hoping the wood would cool her down, her hands itching to slip beneath the silken sheets to chase the fresh memories to completion… stopping when she heard his footsteps about the floor beneath her. His weighted steps made her heart race, the shameful thrill of being caught making her throb anew. There was a delightful fear dancing in her heart imagining his piercing eyes staring her down as the Wolf hunts his prey, doing as he pleases with her. She caught the greedy smile on her face, smelling her fresh arousal on her finger tips.

_ —I need a shower. _

Her legs felt like overworked dough, weighed down and unusually wobbly, partly from her deep sleep, and partly from the strenuous activities of the night before; such a new and frustrating experience. She felt like a walking cliché of the women she used to laugh at in those romantic comedies, the ones who would limp home after a night of hinted at, but never seen bed-rocking sex. Anjya ate her words that she would never be that type of woman. relieved that no one was there to see her in such a compromising position. She found her way to the master bathroom, amazed at how immaculate it was. The tiles were a mixture of a cool grey and dark brown, matching the black tiles and accents of the sit-in bathtub made for two. The standing shower looked more like a luxury sauna, multiple shower-heads above her like dark-steel chandeliers. The sculptural elements of the space made Anjya gaze in awe, as she had never anticipated modern design to compete with the flare and opulence of a baroque bathing chamber; it had a never-been- used feel about it.

_ He must use a half-bath more often._

She took out her earrings and what she could find of the bobby pins in her hair, fluffing out her tresses as she looked in the mirror. There was nothing outwardly different about her, save for the hickies on her shoulders and breasts. No one would look at her and be able to tell that something was different. Yet deep down, she knew something had changed. She didn’t feel the same as she had Friday morning or any other morning before. For some reason something was missing. She hoped the shower would make her feel better. Letting the warm water cascade down her body, there was a hope that somehow the water would bring back what was missing. Her child’s mind wanted to wash the sin away, like the dirt or mud on her Sunday dress. That it was something wrong that she did, that she had to make right before O-mè returned; or her father found out. 

Yet as she looked up towards the water falling on her, she knew there was no going back, she could stand in the shower for an eternity and it wouldn’t bring her purity back. Till was the rainbow serpent, the realization of Ayida-Weddo’s terrible blessing of womanhood she had to accept. It was going to happen, one way or another she was going to lose her maidenhood. Planned from the moment she hit puberty, her father spent eons protecting it, cultivating and grooming her for marriage. Her purity and her appearance were a commodity in the days of the Prussian Empire. recalling with clarity the many long nights of debuts, balls and concerts of the vampire halls. Stuffed into corsets and overly layered traditional dresses. She was equally weighed down by familial obligations and expectations, anxious from the stares and glances that seemed to pick her apart and size her worthiness; none of this mattered above the fact that she was sexually untouched. But if she was honest with herself, she didn't know anything about Till. She had no true gauge of his character over time, no understanding of the kind of man he would be in the morning. She had only interacted with him a few times, brief moments at that and only in the working space. Friday was supposed to be a dinner date and nothing more. She wasn't supposed to be swayed so easily by her emotions to a familiar stranger. She wanted to do things the right way, she wanted to experience the modern courtship that was denied to her her friends had talked it up so much over the centuries, form tokens of affection by means of flowers and servants, to the innovation of the telephone and the rituals of a first young love with the cardinal rule of **_“no sex on the first night.” _**

_I can’t do anything right this century._

the sudden chill of the water snapped her from her self-inflicted insecurities, realizing she was using up the hot water she quickly turned off the shower and stood a moment longer in the silence. 

_ It’s best if I don’t think about it. _

She pushed open the shower door and carefully stepped on the towel she placed on the floor, using it to slide to the sink where she had placed a longer towel and a pair of boxers she hoped would fit. She warped the soft towel around her body as it strained to fit over her large breast and wide hips.

_ shitty luxury towels, an extra yard of cotton wouldn’t kill you! _

She hissed in frustration, curing under her breath as she managed to pull the boxers over her lower body. She dried off her feet and unwrapped the towel, wrapping it about her shoulders instead as she walked from the bathroom to the bedroom; surprised to see Till standing in front of his closet.

He looked strange with his dark hair falling over his face dressed in what seemed like a thermal shirt and sweatpants. He looked Anjya over, glancing from her beautiful legs to her hips and waist tilting his head at the sight of his boxers on a woman’s body.

“so that’s where they went.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t know you were home.” She didn’t make eye contact with him, as he could see her hands pulling tightly at the towel around her shoulders.

“Don’t apologize I should’ve checked on you sooner.” He rummaged through is closet, distracting himself from her half naked body, determined to control himself despite his plans of taking a shower with her were now ruined. 

“I didn’t want to disturb your sleep, so I went ahead and ordered breakfast.” He watched her look about nervously as he handed her one of his long-sleeved shirts to wear. Till wasn’t sure if it would shroud her comfortably, but he didn’t like the idea of letting her walk around half naked in his home, not with how much he'd enjoyed her last night. She thanked him and turned around, her back facing him as she let the towel fall to her feet giving him a good view of his boxers on her body, looking more like high-cut shorts that hugged the roundness of her ass. He looked away as she shimmed her head through the collar of his shirt determined to ignore her swaying hips. Till tried to focus on the bed, distracting his thoughts by peeling away the sheets form the night before. As he fumbled with the fabrics her scent wafted into his nose, their intermingled scents even sexier than the night before. A tricksters smile crept from the corners of his mouth as he turned around to see the shirt fitting quite nicely. He walked up behind her with arms that wrapped around her waist, squeezing her breasts with his biceps.

“You were thinking about last night weren’t you?” he whispered on the skin of her neck.

“Did it excite you, thinking about us?” his hand trailed down her tummy to the growing heat between her thought, brazenly rubbing her cunt through the cotton. She arched back the way he wanted her to, pressing hard against his once sleeping cock. He leaned down and kissed her deeply, relishing in the sweetness of her lips. Till pulled her backwards into the bed, back into the cesspool of carnal desire she was trying so hard to wash away. It didn’t hurt as much as it did last night, he was a bit more relaxed and centered. Attentive to mutual satisfaction, she could tell that Till was aiming for pleasure. Her body reacted pleasantly to what he was doing, her fingers clawed into his skin, her hips pressed against his pelvis grinding together in a mass of writhing flesh. She knew she wanted more, her body wanted to feel his pleasure. But she couldn’t shake the fear that was inside her. she was afraid of herself, afraid of her desires seeing for herself how she acted the night before.

_ Stop thinking about it. _

She clung to his body as they rocked to and fro. Feeling the brunt of his powerful thrust, begging him for more.

_ stop thinking about it... _

She closed her eyes tightly, the darkness pulling her away from the moment and away from Till, letting her senses carry her elsewhere. Breakfast had been delivered by the time they were finished, Anjya was reluctant to take another shower after using most of his hot water already. She did her best to keep him off his guard, pushing down her anxieties to enjoy his company. He did good to order a wonderful breakfast for them. She marveled at how at ease he had became around her. Surely two years ago she never imagined she would be sitting across from such an enigmatic man, drinking coffee and eating with him as if she had known him all her life. It wasn’t long before it was time for her to go home, engaging in appropriate amounts of conversation as he made the trip back to her house. He let her out, and lead her back her front door as a gentleman would, even going as far to kiss her cheek.

He whispered sweet words in a low voice, gazing into her eyes. he could tell that something was wrong, that she had a lot on her mind and wanted to ask her if she was alright. but the look in her gaze stayed his question, taking her smile as a sign for him to leave. she turned the key and entered her home, much to the excitement of her mewing familiars. They hurried down the stairs to the sound of her voice,their bells lifting her troubled spirits.

"my babes" she called out to them dropping her things and kneeling, expecting them to jump into her arms as they always did. yet to her dismay, they stop in their tracks the moment they could smell her. their tails swaying in a curious and alert manner as their eyes looked at her with confusion.

_ Please don’t look at me like that… you know it’s me. _

The orange tabby and calico cat stared at her with their large blue and green eyes. The tabby boldly walking up to her and taking a sniff of her open palm, before licking it softly and showering Anjya with the affection she was used to. However, the calico was more wary of her running away as soon as Anjya made her way to the stairs to greet her suspicious familiar.

_ Maybe not… _

She peeled away Till’s clothes, and took her time in the shower lathering in her own soaps and oils, slowly feeling like herself again.

_ It’s all in my head. It has to be. _

She changed into her house clothes, taking her time as she did her weekly hair routine. tuning into the news on the television Anjya was soon lost in the motions. Twist, oil, twist, oil, twist, oil… her hands moved on their own with the mindless task she had been doing most of her life. Treating her hair as a form of meditation she began to process what she had just been through, thinking of ways to make the inevitable work-day less awkward.

_ It's only Saturday, no one at the studio knows me well enough to tell the difference.... i have time. _

She oiled her scalp and combed the part before twisting it again. Until all of her hair was organized into sections of long and lovely twists. She did her best to wrap the silk scarf around her hair, only stopping as the weight of the unknown began to pull her back down into a panic.

_ I can trust Till not to say anything…right? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry for the delay my readers, it has been a trying midterm week. but i am ready and at 90% to post this latest chapter.  
there wont be any new German words this time but a magical creature instead
> 
> -Ayida-Weddo: is a loa of fertility, rainbows, wind, water, fire, and snakes in Vodou, especially in Benin and Haiti. also known as the rainbow snake  
-coach-whip: a snake native to Louisiana. non-venomous colubrid snake, also referred to as the whip snake, endemic to the United States and the northern half of Mexico.


	12. Sprich mit mir

It bothered her that the sun was up, the bright rays of the morning light burned into her eyes, highlighting her sour mood. When she went to bed it was Saturday, and before she knew it was already time to go to work.

_I don’t want to go today, _she thought over again hoping to convince herself to stay home just this once. She lingered in bed an hour longer than she should have, dragging her feet to shower and taking extra time for her morning routine.

She made sure to miss the early bus to the station, purposefully keeping her phone on vibrate and stuffing it deep into her purse for “_safe keeping_.” She was sandwiched between the door of the train and a rather tall, portly man that smelled too strongly of kraut, trapped in the flow of the early morning rush. She did her best to brave the scent of brine and cabbage, avoiding eye contact with the oblivious man. Anjya could feel the balls of her feet growing sore from standing for so long, her calves were burning from holding her violin case firmly between her legs, and despite how much she tried, the smell of the kraut was starting to get to her. But there were other things on her mind…

_This would be easier if I had a ride._

She imagined the white paint on his car pulling into the front of her home, his sad eyes smiling at her with hot tea in hand. She could still feel the ghost of his lips upon her skin, she could still feel his fingers running up her spine, enclosing her in a warm embrace. Anjya tucked her nose under the wool of her scarf, doing her best to hide the blush from her cheeks.

She realized that she had accidentally insulted the man in front of her, letting on to the fact that he was very smelly. She avoided his poisonous stare, choosing instead to focus on the pending arrival of her stop. She was but a block away from the studio, ample leg space and fresh air. She braced herself, the impending rush of bodies moving towards the small threshold, going along with the foot traffic as the door opened and allowed her sweet freedom. It seemed as if the heavens had taken pity on Anjya, gracing her with the calm and quiet of an empty sidewalk. She looked for her phone in her purse with a mind to listen to some music; pausing when she saw Till's name in her recent calls. a sinking feeling took over as she saw how long their call had been. Looking back, she hated how childish she was. Talking about everything but what was really bothering her.

_I should've just told Till what was wrong. I had no reason to distrust him._

Anjya shook her head to clear her thoughts, walking down the street with wide strides and a mind a thousand miles away.

_He probably thinks I ghosted him, I should tell him the truth...eventually _

She steeled her nerves for the pending conversation. despite how old she was, Anjya was never good with confrontation, unable to master the _nice nasty _most women could do. She was either too emotional to think straight or would shut down and simply agree to disagree even if she was right. But this time was different, she felt different about Till and didn't want to end something that was just beginning. She enjoyed the way he’d made her feel both inside and out, making her feel womanly in a way she hadn’t before.

She cemented in her mind, the aloof and cool-headed musician she had come to respect, picturing his frigid gaze and stoic face as she walked through the lobby to keep herself from blushing with surprise, doing her best to imagine how that conversation would go. However, as the elevator doors opened, she came face to face with Till. He was smartly dressed wearing a black blazer coordinating with a royal blue button-down shirt, black trousers and silver accessories. 

For the first time since that passionate Saturday night, their eyes met. Till made room for her in the small space, stealing glances at the powder blue shirt peeking through her black winter coat. He reveled as a cheery red blush stained her brown cheeks, he noticed that she had taken particular pride in her appearance that day.

Elegant, minimal but refined make-up accentuated her eyes and lips, her hair which he could vividly picture wild and strew across the sheets, was styled into a charming low pony-tail held together by an expensive, and rather vintage looking hair pin. Even though she wore a heavy winter coat, and weather appropriate shoes, Anjya was still elegant and breathtakingly beautiful. Yet, there was something amiss as she stood for a moment without saying a word.

Eventually, “Good morning Mr. Sandmann.” she did her best to hide the nervous shake in her voice. For a while he said nothing, the elevator ascending at a leisurely pace, the tension dragging on and on. Anjya did her best not to look at the well dressed and good smelling man next to her, choosing instead to focus on the creeping floors on the screen. She was so focused on the numbers that she didn't notice Till leaning over her, until she felt his breath near her ear.

“Aren't we past formalities Lady Markova?” He stressed the “r” in her name, rolling his tongue hard enough to make her heart jump, sand her loins clench.

“vous bâtard effronté!” she cursed at him rearing back to stare at him with a bright red face. Till had never heard Anjya Swear before, let alone hear her speak with a hint of anger. Though he was surprised, he delighted in her anger, her wild eyes and pouting lips made her more akin to a fussy kitten flaring their baby fangs.

“Erschrecke ich dich süßes Mädchen?”

His height loomed over Anjya, as Tills winter gaze rendered her vulnerable in a way she currently despised. She knew he was purposefully making her aware of their difference in height, using his sex and body against her as he took a step closer, fencing her against the elevator door. His scent was distinct, even with his delightful cologne, hearing his blood rushing beneath his skin She gazed hungrily at his plentiful aether. so clear in its bright light that it made her stir with new appetite, as a new set of worries beginning to surface. 

_You’re wrong Till, I’m not afraid of you…_

He leaned in closer, hovering his lips over hers tempting her with an intimacy that could expose them, should anyone open the elevator door.

_You should be afraid of me._

As he leaned closer, she began to feel the pain of her fangs jetting from her gums, a centuries old hunger resurfacing faster than she could manage. The loud and tempting palpitation of his heart made a low growl escape her lips. Her careful restraint wavered, feeling both his sexual energy and the heat of the elevator threatening to expose her vampiric nature. She pulled away from him just in time for the doors to open, putting much needed distance between herself and Till

What she thought would be recording day, turned out to be much worse lethal, as Anjya found herself sitting right across from Till, doing her best to ignore him and power through her anxiety. She did her best to listen to Hugo and his eccentric plans for the music video. Though it was pleasant to see a man so engrossed in his creativity, she couldn't shake her feelings that something had shifted, her unrest peaking at Till's keen stare. He appeared relaxed, intent on what Hugo was saying. She watched tensely as his fingers crook over his lips and chin, cradling his head in his large hands.

“The music video will be on location at the Von Roth Estate in rural Gavony, so please be prepared for the harsh weather” Hugo showed the castle on the overhead prompter. The aerial view of the estate revealed the skeletal remains of an ancient castle. Only half of it is still usable, with the east and south wings destroyed by erosion and WWII war machines.

"Accommodations have already been provided for by the people of Straub Dorf as long as we leave the castle before sundown every day we are filming."

Anjya noticed the estate and Straub Dorf were only two hours away from her old summer home. She stared at the image frozen on the prompter, looking at the jagged and decayed shell of what it used to be, wondering why such a place felt so familiar.

_Straub Dorf… have I been there before? _It boggled her mind, a haze of nostalgia trapping her in a cloudy daydream. 

"Dame Markova...Dame Markova"

Maria's distinct voice pulled her down from the clouds, every set of eyes were fixated on her. "Yes?" She answered in a high pitch much to Maria’s surprise, Anjya only then realizing that everyone in the room was gone.

"Are you OK?"

"Yes! Yes, I’m sorry…I had a lot on my mind" Anjya made quick work to gather her things in her arms and rush past the door as a million thoughts rushed to her mind.

_Get it together Anjya!, _she told herself as she pressed the elevator button, its leisurely decent making her foot tap impatiently. _You don’t need everyone coming on to you. Just make it through the commute to that sweet, sweet ice cream in the fridge…_

A smile tugged at her lips, as she imagined being home snuggled into her house clothes and eating a bowl of ice-cream. 

"Wait… Ms. Markova Wait!" Anjya stopped mid stride, with half of her body in the elevator as she turned to see Maria chasing after her, her heeled shoes clicked quickly towards the elevator and Anjya made room for the Manager as she took a moment to catch her breath.

"Thank you for holding the elevator. This thing has a mind of its own!" She leaned over the guardrail of the space as she fanned herself to cool down. "Now that I've caught you, would you like to join me for coffee?” 

"Isn't it a bit late for coffee?"

"My dear, it’s never too late for coffee, besides I wanted to check in and see how you are doing. I know it can be hard being the only woman in the room."

"I don't know, I have other engagements..." Anjya was unsure about it. Still, Maria had a kind look and genuine concern for her, Anjya had a feeling that Maria was up to something.

"It won't take long just a quick business meeting then I can take you home." Maria brandished a sincere smile as she stood next to Anjya. Looking at the time on her watch Anjya knew she had missed her train and that the next one wouldn't come for another hour, setting her whole commute back. Given how cold it was getting and spotting a few stray flakes of snow, Anjya found it hard to refuse. Anjya came to regret accepting her offer once she found herself sitting across from Till in a romantic restaurant. _That smarmy bitch…_ The sun had long settled behind the city skyline, the evening rush finally settling into a slow drawl, with the two lovers sitting in a strained quiet. He read over the menu as if nothing was amiss, once again stealing glances at her. The powder blue of her shirt gave her a sweet and innocent glow, contrasting with the off -the-shoulder neckline that accentuated her full chest, it matched her tear-drop earrings very well. Although her eyes sparkled in the romantic setting, it was very clear that she wasn't comfortable being there.

“You can stare at the menu all you like but it won’t make this night go any faster.” Till watched her fingers tense around the corners of the page smiling at her kitten-anger flaring again, noticing that she was pissed off at Maria for tricking her to meet with him. “You should relax sweet girl. I didn’t know you were invited.”

“I highly doubt that.” Her response had more bite than either had anticipated. Till looked up from the menu to see the immediate regret appearing on her face. Today wasn’t the best day, which was only made worse by being tricked into dining with the very man she was trying to avoid.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re not acting like it’s nothing.”

“I told you it’s** nothing**.” 

“Is it because of what I did in the elevator, or because of what we did last weekend?” She glared at him with a fierceness he hadn't seen in a long time. He knew that universal look of _shut the hell up, _that silent glare a woman would give him if he was being too frank in a public place. But where he would take the hint and fall back into irritated quiet, something in him felt challenged. This time he was not backing down.

“Did I speak too softly? **Should I say it louder?**” 

“Can you stop?” She hissed. She looked to see other patrons looking directly at them and then back to Till.

“I’ll stop when you tell me what’s wrong.”

He would be dead if her looks could kill but he wanted Anjya to talk to him, to get angry with him and break that poised facade. But she did nothing but go back to avoiding him by using the menu, hoping that he would take the hint to back off. 

“You’ve been acting strange since Saturday, you didn't even sound like yourself over the phone. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

She pulled the thick menu closer to her face, leaving only her fingers to indicate her emotions. He watched them tightly grip the covers of the book again, seeing her knuckles turned red from how hard she was holding it.

“Anjya…” Anjya was very close to breaking down. Feeling herself crack under the pressure and didn’t want to confront the issue she had no knowledge about. She began to emotionally withdraw to save face in a public place much to Till’s ire.

He was furious. He was angry that Maria surprised Anjya this way, angry at how hot and cold Anjya was acting towards him. He was more than sure that she gave him consent, that he hadn’t done anything that could have harmed her.

_I don’t understand why you are acting this way..._

Yet he knew he wasn’t going to get her to do what he wanted by force. Till had to temper his irritation and anger. He wasn’t going to get any answers with his usual method of bulldozing through. He had to be clever, even as his patience was running thin. He took a deep breath and a moment to think before putting away his own menu. He had to remember she wasn't like the other woman he had dated or bedded. 

“Anjya just talk to me.” He chose his words carefully and softened his tone. He watched her shoulders slump down, with her clawed fingers relenting their grip. “I can’t make it right if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.” Till placed his finger over the top of the menu book slowly, and gently lowering it down to see her dark eyes welling with tears.

“Please...” her voice collapsed looking at him as tears threatened to stain to her face. “I just want to go home. I don't want to be here…” She could feel herself falling apart, knowing very well that if she stayed any longer, there would be no way to stop the tears. He leaned back in his chair, unable to do much as Anjya rushed to the restroom to collect herself. He hadn't expected her to hold in so much emotion.

Within the safety of the restroom, she was able to take a deep breath, wiping the tears from her eyes with a cold napkin to her face. Inadvertently, she’d washed away the makeup that she’d so meticulously put on. The poor girl had expected him not to have left by the time she’d returned, expected to see an empty table left behind. Instead, as soon as she walked out the restroom, she found him waiting for her with her coat and violin case in hand, he himself dressed to leave.

“What are you--” 

“I’m taking you home.” 

He hushed her with just a look, helping her to put on her coat and ushered her out to his car. She hadn’t expected him to be so gentle and considerate, leading her out of the restaurant and helping her into his car. It wasn’t until he pulled up to a luxury High-rise did her anger threaten to flare again, aghast that he would attempt such a thing at the time .

“What is the meaning of this, Till...?” she asked him as he pulled up to an expectant Valet.

“I need to make sure you at least eat something before I take you home.”

The valet opened the door for her, gently helping Anjya out of the passenger side. Till placed his arm around her and guided her through the lobby and up to his penthouse apartment. She still couldn’t believe the stark difference between the house and this new space, noticing that this was where he really lived, his scent permeating the air. She stood at the doorway meekly and hesitantly as he walked about his dwellings, truly relaxed in his own space. The memories of the weekend before were still fresh in her mind, and she could not help but follow that train of though while he loosened his tie and plucked his cufflinks from his shirt, his grey eyes looking about the room as he did his best to make the space presentable.

“I’m...I don’t think that I should be here…” she stammered after moments of silence. Causing Till to stop what he was doing and look up to the young woman, fiddling with her winter coat.“I’m grateful that you want to help me, but—" He silenced her with an unexpected, soft kiss upon her forehead, pressing his lips against her hot skin until she leaned into his embrace.

“I’m not going to leave you alone like this. It bothers me that you were suffering because of something I did or said.” He looked down into her eyes, wiping a few tears from the corners. Though his face looked sullen and his eyes tired, there was genuine concern in his stare as his lips pulled into a soft smile. “I just want you to talk to me. I want you to be able to trust me.”

He took her into his arms and pulled her over the threshold, heart stricken by the mirrored look of trust and the openness of a woman falling in love. Till would take her deeper into his world, giving her a place to be herself. Till would give her someone to listen, taking in the worries that were burdening her. He did the work of melting her stress away with tender care and kindness. Listening to every word she finally spoke, he watched the hardness of her outer shell fall away, looking on as Anjya revealed her fears, body shaking as the truth spilled from her lips and tears stained her skirt.

He felt the urge to indulge himself in carnal pleasures rise in the back of his mind, even as he thumbed her tears away and caressed her soft skin. Till’s subconscious mocked that he could take her at any moment, reminding him that he has yet to want anything more. His instincts begged him to take advantage of her fragile state, feeling the primal urge to physically heal her with needs that had been neglected. However, he denied his appetite for sex. Instead, he chose to cater to her needs. The bulking man made her several cups of warm tea and ran her a warm bath. He wanted to be chivalrous, going as far as to surrender his bed and to sleep in his study. For the first time in a long time, he felt the urge to care for her in ways he hadn’t cared for anyone before. He understood to an extent what she was going through and took seriously the anxiety she felt. Till didn't want to be a source of stress for her, he didn't want Anjya to grow to hate him or to become like Nina who never shared herself with him, other than her body. Despite them already having sex, he didn’t want to dishonor a woman like her. Till wanted to keep it chaste and pure.

“Till…” she called out to him with her soft, sweet voice, standing nervously in the doorway of his study wearing his shirt “I-I don’t want to sleep alone” her fingers tugged at the hem of his shirt that barely covered her shapely hips, her large brown eyes bashful as she gazed at him.“…please come to bed.”

She watched him sigh deeply, gathering the blanket and pillow he’d just set out. Wrapping the blanket around her body, he kissed her once more and took her to his bedroom, choosing the intimacy of the companionship he coveted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter translations
> 
> -vous bâtard effronté: you cheeky bastard
> 
> -Erschrecke ich dich süßes Mädchen: are you afraid of me sweet girl?
> 
> it's been a while~ since i updated, another chapter yea~  
it's been a while~ since i first started... some Stained for ya lovelies. it has been a while since i've posted. essays and homework and of course doing my best to give you guys a quality story you deserve.
> 
> with that in mind, please enjoy.


	13. welche Träume werden kommen

_ All he could see was her, standing in perfect stillness. Nothing else could draw his gaze. Ethereal, her grace was yet unmatched, a single rose surrounded by harsh, barren bulbs. Bright, vibrant yet only in half bloom and untouched by the sins of man. A precious treasure to be carted around within the compound of Lord Adler’s ballroom, guarded by a heavily veiled, and tall woman dressed black. _

_ “Poor creature...she must be suffocating in that old-fashioned dress” His woman dressed in a seductively cut red gown wrapped her arms within the bend of his elbows, her words sweet as her touch. He heard the soft lace of sleeve against the silk of his garment, the scent of his lover wafting to enrapture his senses. “Does he think this will stop the wolves from circling his lovely little lamb?” Her voice was like honey, a love potion to his heart as he looked to see her crystal blue eyes glinting with interest between the raven tresse, eyes that gleamed with clever thoughts and the hunger of ambitions as she looked to the young lady once again as her father formally introduced her. “An overbearing Father and a motherless girl...perhaps it’s time to make new friends.” Her ruby red lips pressed again the crystal of a wine filled chalice, taking a deep drink before she focused her charms, as he looked to see her blue eyes turn a hint of purple, honing in on their next set of prey. _

_ "They were far away from home in a new land, surrounded by new people, friendless and vulnerable. Single parents always made the best prey and Katrina and I knew what tools to use.” _

_ Till watched himself walk over to the young girl and her haunting resemblance to Anjya, who looked no older than seventeen. He saw the woman he assumed to be Katrina, she had pale skin and deep raven hair that was paired with bright blue eyes. Tall and beautiful, her lips matched her red dress, as she was adorned by priceless gems and perfume; the object of everyone's desires. He felt a mild twinge of reluctance and jealousy as she went about working her magic, making conversation with the older man. Till presumed him to be the young girls father, though he saw no clear resemblance between the two.  _

_ " it was supposed to be simple. she would seduce the father and then drain him to an early grave. And after gaining all his wealth and titles, she would leave the daughter to me.” _

_ “Is this your first ball?” His deep voice caught the young lady off guard, the wine in her chalice threatening to stain her dress as she cautiously back away from him. “Forgive me… I didn’t mean to scare you...” his words trailed off, as he gazed into her wide eyes that glowed as honey in the lights of the candle flames, their light bouncing off of the warm brown of her skin. Till was speechless, staring openly at the young lady who kept her gaze to the ground. She in turn bowed her head to silently acknowledging him. Any other time, he would have sneered at the rudeness. Yet, there was something endearing about the young woman that softened him, something he couldn't figure out. With a friendly smile he took hold of her hand and raised his gaze to her, kissing the soft skin of her left hand.  _

_ “What is your name, Little Bird?” From the innocent blush upon her tawny cheeks, to the redness of her ears and nervous dart of her eyes, Ulrich delighted in her flustered state. The young lady was at a loss for words, hindered by their differences in age and gender to answer him in a formal manner, or to storm off from his forwardness. Till grew excited as he watched her plump lips part, finally able respond. _

_ “I didn’t anticipate to feel such a pull to someone other than Katrina… to see myself falling into madness for someone other than Katrina.” _

** _“Anjya.” _ **

_ Her father's voice painted a sudden fear across her youthful face as she quickly pulled her hand away and turned to face him. Till felt himself sizing up the man, standing only a few feet taller than him and just as built under his garments. He could tell just by looking at him that her father had seen death. Her father, just like himself and Katrina, was a monster mingling amongst humans, creatures that smelled of death and decay. His ghostly pale skin and unblinking eyes made his ember gaze fiercer, traits made more imposing by the depth of his thick northern accent. “Why are you talking with strangers and not with your Governess?” He glared at Till with suspicion, taking hold of his daughter and pulling her closer to him. _

_ “Lord Markov, this is my brother Lord Ulrich Von Roth. he is one of the ruling nobility of these lands.” _

_ “If you are in need of anything, please feel free to call upon me.” Ulrich may have looked at Lord Markov, but he directed his words toward Anjya, watching with his peripheral vision as her lovely brown eyes darted to the floor, cheeks burning when he snuck a glance in her direction. Lord Markov remained silent and stared at Till as the woman in black ushered Anjya away, the two of them staring each other down, two alpha males in the same territory.  _

_ “Sichere Reisen.” There was something unsettling about his voice, a deathly rigor dripping from his words, chilling both Katrina and Ulrich in vastly different ways. But where Katrina was enamored by the Northern Man, Ulrich was solely focused on his demure daughter, watching as if catching the last few rays of the summer sun before she disappeared behind her mountain of a father. _

“But for her I did.”

He felt the pull of his dreams fading, turning over to see that Anjya was still sleeping next to him, wearing one of his shirts and looking as she should. He checked the time on his watch as he always did, frustrated that he was back to being wide awake at two in the morning. He sat against the headboard and ran his fingers through his thick hair. He felt the long tresses of his mohawk, now grown out into a half shaved on both sides, feeling the fuzz growing back. He knew it would be harder to go back to sleep now, subconsciously fearing that his nightmare would only continue once he closed his eyes, knowing that deep down **SOMEONE** was waiting for him. Despite his tossing and turning and moving about, Anjya was still by his side, contorted in deep sleep. Her hair was a wild mess of darkness against the white sheets She managed to kick off the blanket and topsheet and slept with the crisp pillow against her chest even with the heat being a lukewarm 60 degrees. 

“Hot blooded woman _ .”  _ He smiled as she turned in her sleep toward him. His eyes looked over her calm facial features and she curled onto her side, breathing deeply. 

“At least your sleep is peaceful, bewitching girl _ .”  _ He leaned over and kissed her cheek before tucking her in and quietly leaving the bedroom. He went to the kitchen and made himself a drink, taking a hard swallow of the vodka. It had been months since he’d had those dreams. Since meeting Anjya there’d been no trace of the Tall Man, and der Jäger had disappeared altogether. For a moment it seemed that the visions had stopped now that he had gotten what he’d craved for so long. But as he looked at the surface of the drink, something told him otherwise. That there was something lurking just beneath his skin...

  
  
Till walked into his study, looking to his writing desk. He sat down wearily and looked at the rough covers of a well used, and heavily handled notebook. The leather was cold, the bindings stiff to where he could hear the crack between every page. Between sips of vodka, he read through his previous writings. Glancing past poems and short stories that all centered around his obsession with the nameless girl, a nameless girl he knew now as Anjya. He felt the buzz of the alcohol soothe him as he picked up his pen and began to write down the details of his dream. His words described the darkness of the forest in the cover of night, engulfing the lands in total darkness as an unnatural silence engulfed the estate. 

_ The ground was rot with misfortune and death, where nothing of beauty would grow in the unconsecrated earth. Only ugly, decrepit things. With the only aesthetic of the stone and mortar castle upon the horizon. Despite the barren conditions, it was a marvel to be seen, a pinnacle of luxury for all who were favored enough to enjoy. However, it was an empty shell festering from the inside out. Till gazed out into the forest from his chambers, daydreaming about his little bird as Katrina combed her hair. She had been quiet since their targets left the ball. Her twinkling eyes reduced to blank glances deep in thought. _

_ "We have to be careful.", she finally spoke. "Vampires are just like us: ancient, powerful, clever. We can't afford any mistakes." He recognized the stiffness in her voice as worry. Attentively, Till walked over to Katrina, placing a gentle hand upon a slim shoulder, kissing the pale skin. _

_ "I have never known you to make mistakes." _

_ I was speaking of you." She gently pushed his affections away and faced him with eyes empty of warmth. "The change is upon you." She stood up from her seat, the silhouette of her slender body peeked through the sheerness of her night gown. "I can sense it: the changed appetite, the deeper sex. You've been less inclined to feed--" Her fingers trailed between his pecs, Ulrich watching with nervous, aroused eyes as she reached down to the swelling between his legs. " I can smell your desire. You want to plant roots and have a family, I can sense it. Lord Markov can sense it. Even that mudblood can sense what you really want…"  _

_ She gently pushed Till down onto the edge of the bed, mounting his solid body. He was weak to her charms, feeling the warmth of her supple skin between greedy fingers. "Once we have power unmatched, I will give you a family." He stared into her eyes, pools of sapphire that glanced back at him. They were laced promises. "As you follow my plan, I will give you everything your heart desires..."  _

Her words echoed into the silence of the same bed chamber and Till found himself now standing in the empty space. A grey light flooded the room, shining a dull glow over what used to be a well lived in space. Everything was aged and falling apart, save for that same wooden box that remained perfectly intact. 

_ "How did it feel?" _ Till froze right before touching the box. His heart ached with the pain of a distant memory of the wretched creatures voice.  _ "When you bit into the forbidden fruit how did it taste?" _

He watched as the grey light began to fade into darkness, the neglected fireplace swelling with light, revealing the room in splendor once more. Till could only see the back of a man's head, sitting in a familiar position and staring at the box before him. Just as before, he was drawn to the man, walking closer to try to get a look at him. 

_ "Did it feel as good? The first time...?" _ As Till looked upon the man, he was beside himself with disbelief, confusion and horror. It was as if he was looking in a mirror, seeing a version of himself five years younger. His body was the same as it was now: tall, strong and powerful. The same dark hair and the same facial features except for his eyes. The doppelganger had eyes that burned red as the embers in the hearth. Despite the anger of the hue, his face was calm and deep in thought, staring at the still unopened box. His pale fingers played with the latch upon the lid, caressing the wood almost lovingly. Till could see the dilemma written all over the man's face, as if deciding what to do. Both of their thoughts disturbed by the movements in the bed gazing at the familiar silhouette underneath.

_ "Its intoxicating isn't it? Coveting what you can never truly have." _

An uneasy guilt came over him, gazing at the form wrapped in silk. His guilt only grew as the female shape looked more and more like Anjya, though she seemed older from the last time he’d dreamt of her, she was still glowing with teenage vigor. There was still a particular quality to her round face that made his head spin, oblivious to the heat of his loins as stage spectre slept deeply, blissfully unaware.

_ "How long can you hold out until you crave another bite of that enticing flesh?" _

_ He reached out to her with clawed hands, sharp nails plunged into the fragile skin of her neck, the blood flowing freely until it seeped like nectar onto the silk sheets. The scent was so sudden and so sweet that he salivated heavily, his lips clinging to her skin as he would an apple, draining the life from the delicious flesh. _

When he came to, all Till could feel was the throbbing of a nasty hangover. His brain pulsed as if it would burst and take life of its own. Knowing that his eyes were bloodshot and angry, Till deeply regretted his choice of drink and sought to find its remedy.

_ _

_ "What time is it?"  _ His eyes peered at the clock on the wall glaring at the fact it was seven am with no sunrise in sight. Through his blurred vision. he saw shadows moving about in his home, shadows with a womanly curve that moved with heavy feet.

" _ Nina?"  _ Still in a drunken haze Till stood and walked to the threshold of the study looking towards the open door of his room. " _ You came back?"  _

He walked into his room, expecting to be chewed out by a tall model, and the sub-par sex that came with it. however seeing a bushy eyed Anjya dressed in his clothes was the last thing Till expected. He stared at the way her figure filled out his button down shirt and black trousers. A growing smile watched on while she adjusted a pair of his suspenders to fit over her breast and shoulders. Her fingers struggling with the adjustments while she did her best to fixture the straps. 

" _ No… this is not Nina." _

he buried his face in her kinky hair, enclosing his arms around her waist he breathed in her smell. holding on to her unique scent as long as he could. " _ She smells like summer rain sweet and warm." _ Anjya turned around to face him, framing his cheeks within her caring hands. He kept his eyes low, feeling shame for his early and heavy drinking, knowing very well his skin was cold to touch. Or worse yet what Anjya would do if she were to see those demonic eyes. He felt the fear in heart if she were to reject him, his arms locking tighter around her.

"du hältst mich so nah und versteckst dich doch vor mir?" her dark brown eyes glanced at him, looking at the aftermath of his drinking. But where Till was braced for a sour look of rejection and disappointment, he felt the weight of her soft kiss. careful and tender her lips pressed against him the healing warmth he sought after.  As her fingers caressed his frigid skin, Till was taken back to that fateful day in the music-hall. Back to the comfort of her gentle grace, to the soft daylight bouncing off her skin and hair. “Bitte...Hab keine Angst mich anzusehen” her eyes were wet staring at him, through him even. As if she knew every word he was thinking and every fear he was feeling at that moment.

“ _ Never… _ ” 

His hands reached to lift her in his arms, once again feeling the feathers ticking the skin of his fingertips while he kissed Anjya passionately.  _ _ piece by piece he removed his clothes from her body, slowly peeling back the restraints and insecurities between them.  Sitting on the edge of his bed, Till coaxed Anjya to take him as her mount. Guiding her hips to fence his lap as his continued to engage in their sordid kiss. Easing himself inch by inch until he was fully inside, Till laid claim to her womanhood once more. 

“I could never look away from you.”

His words became her undoing, Anjya felt his truth free herself in ways she never believed. With their bodies connected she felt herself stronger in his arms. With each stroke melting away her inhibitions. “I...will never look away from you.” Deeper she fell into herself letting each nerve and portion of self experience their deep and sleepy sex. Her hips rolled with intention, crashing upon him as gentle waves of femininity that was both powerful and healing. Her hands freely explored what was forbidden to her, traverings Till’s body: touching, feeling and kissing what was seen as off limits as their sex lasted well into the afternoon. Both lost in their dreams made real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a LOOOOONG long time since i have posted anything. between the mid-holiday season, finals and personal obligations i rarely had time to dedicate to the coming chapters. and even as i take a break between studies to polish up these chapters. there is still so much work that needs to be done, plot-lines that need to connect and red-herrings for the readers to treasure hunt around. needless to say i am thankful for the readers who have enjoyed the story so far and remained to figure out what is instore for the chapters to come. it only gets better from here.  
Fun Facts:  
*OMT/ Old Man Till has a name: Ulrich. moving forward when OMT makes an appearance he will be referred to as Ulrich.  
*we peek a bit more into the dynamics between OMT/Ulrich and Anjya when she was a teenager and his first impression of the young protagonist.  
*some vampire-lore will be explored
> 
> German:  
*Sichere Reisen: safe travels  
*du hältst mich so nah und versteckst dich doch vor mir?: you hold me so close and yet hide from me  
*Bitte...Hab keine Angst mich anzusehen: Please ... don't be afraid to look at me


	14. Du Hast Mich

The snow gave way to a heavy downpour. The once long frigid days of December gave way to an almost unnatural bought of warm weather and the long rainy days of January. Till rather enjoyed those kinds of days, having long mornings where he stared at the rain stained windows, and even longer nights where he was lulled into a deep sleep only to wake up with Anjya by his side. It was clear to him that he had fallen for her. Looking at the body that slept within his arms studying every inch of her naked form. He caressed her as she slept, lightly tracing his thumb up and down her biceps trailing down to lightly grip her left hip. 

_"I could stay like this forever… just the two of us." _

He moved the hair from her face, careful not to wake her with the bright numbers of his alarm clock distracting him from his moment. It was thirty minutes to five am, recalling how Maria stressed for him to be on time for the meeting. A heavy sigh floated from his chest as if to wake Anjya enough to move her.

"Wohin gehst du?" She asked half asleep and groggy while watching Till look at his phone while he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I have to meet with Hugo and Maria." He glanced over to see her stretching in bed tiredly sitting up. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders she laced her fingers over his chest resting her head on the back of his neck. He grinned at her affections, feeling joy when she pressed her body closer to him.

"You should be sleeping." He turned over his shoulder to see her sleepy bedroom eyes gaze at him, it was clear that she was still exhausted from the other night, as he glanced to see the red welts he left behind.

"But I want you to stay." her voice whispered kindly, still heavy with exhaustion over his ears. She leaned further, the heat of her body sinking into his back. Her soft lips planting petal kisses on his cheeks, kissing him once more with a bite of passion. Tills hands gripped and pulled the sheets away to reveal her naked body. While he looked down upon her glowing form, he did his best to resist the urge to climb back into her universe as his lips intertwined into a deeper kiss.

“You’re still tired from last night.” he teased her with kisses down her neck distracting Anjya from his pivoting between her legs. 

“Five more minutes~” she begged him in a seductive voice, half tired and half aroused with her arms lazily wrapped around his broad shoulders “bitte mein Jager.” he was face to face with her sleepy brown eyes, surprised at how well she begged contemplating whether to relent to her niceties admittedly turned on by her feminine charms.

“Schlaf du ungezogenes Mädchen.” he placed her down into the coolness of the bed as their bodies did the work to heat up the bedroom. Till loved the sounds she would make. The way her back arched with every stroke, the way her fingers laced between his dark hair. The outside world was of no consequence to Till or Anjya, as they remained in the throes of their passion. Emails went unread and cell phones were unanswered with the dark of the early morning, burned away by the rising sun. This time the light was more unforgiving, with the sound of his cell phone ringing for the with time cementing that the day had begun. He was careful not to wake her, slipping his arm from around her to reach for the phone on the other side. Till saw 5 missed call from Maria, and even more unread text messages with a few voicemails in between.

For a moment he stared at his phone with the screen locked, sliding his thumb along the screen careful not to open anything just yet. There was a time where he would jump at the chance to leave his home, and whomever was sleeping next to him. Even when he was with Nina, he was never compelled to stay by his side, and she was never wanting him to stay. He thought back to Anjya's begging, the way her arms wrapped him unable, or unwilling to let him go. Even as she laid in his arms her fingers were intertwined with his own.

_"What am I doing?" _He asked himself, looking down at Anjya as she woke up and smiled at him. He placed his phone away giving Anjya all his attention. 

"Five more minutes?" He asks her with a playful smile seeing her cheeks turn bright red. 

"Nein mein Jäger. The sun is already up, and I am wide awake." She teased him with a kiss before sitting up from the bed feeling his eyes watching her as she went to go shower. Anjya stepped into the warm shower allowing the water to seep into her muscles and relaxed her body. With the water falling down her face she didn't notice that Till had entered the bathroom. He stood beyond the stained-glass door, watching her care and wash her body. It amazed him how long her hair was, pouring as black ink down the length of her back. He reached out tempted to open the door and join her in the shower, feeling the urge once more. Yet he pulled back and stepped away opting instead to knock on the shower door.

"Hessischen." His low voice broke her from her inner thoughts as she slid the door open. He gazed at Anjya wet from head to toe, her hair framing her round face with springy wet curls.  "Do you like the outdoors?" 

"Sometimes..." Her voice carried over the sound of the shower as she coyly moved her hair behind her ear. "Why do you ask?"

"do you want to join me for a walk in the park?" He watched her eyes closely for a reaction, seeing her brown eyes look him down with a cautious but playful manner. As if she suspected him of mischief. “There’s a cafe that sells the best hot chocolate in the city not too far.”

“You said that about the last place.”

“But i mean it this time...it just happens to be behind a woods with the most beautiful streams and trees.” he leaned against the threshold of the shower-door, his gaze trailing from the way she washed her hair to how the soapy water cascaded down every curve of her body as she pretended to ignore him. “I would hate to go all by myself, and eat all that apfel-kuchen alone.” 

He watched her from the reflection of the bathroom mirror. Her eyes glowed with excitement as she went back to turn off the water, eager to get dressed for the impromptu date. She stepped from the shower a glistening goddess, wrapping a towel around her as she noticed his winter eyes smugly staring at her as if he won a prize. Just as Till promised the forest was beautiful, Isolated and teaming with trails and rivers. The break in the cold weather made it possible for Anjya to dress more for a late fall. Wearing a thin winter jacket and scarf she began to explore the open trial under Till’s watch. There was a sense of awe about her while her booted feet walked through the soft mud of the trail. There was little sound to be given outside of the falling rain and swaying trees. The branches seemed to speak amongst themselves their hushed words gossiping about in the wind, as if to playfully tease her.

“you need to pay attention.” She heard her uncles voice calling out to her. turning around to see him standing where Till was, his pale skin giving off a grey hue in the overcast light of the rainy day. His stark white hair was pulled back into a style of the times, his ember eyes looked at Anjya as she rode atop her. her uncle would often accompany her on rides through the woods partaking in racing and leisurely hunting secretly polishing her marksmanship under her father’s nose. But this time was different, he didn’t mount his horse to ride with her nor did he dress himself to hide from their human neighbors. He was dressed in his light armor the metal of his gauntlets and greaves glinted in the pale light, even his long sword was tucked under his left arm, his hand resting in the hilt alert for anything. Compared to her uncle she was dressed in the finest of clothes and a brown riding coat and matching hat to shield from the weather. Had her father remained home they could’ve taken the carriage instead, yet clan matters were more important and Anjya was not one to argue with her father. She was dressed masculine enough to hide her assets yet trimmed with the feminine touch a young maiden would like, attempting to hide her status as they traveled the main road through the forest.

“I won’t always be there to watch over you Anni. Take care to your surroundings.” He took hold of the reins and began to take the lead through the mysterious woodland, as branches groaned and grunted with the wind. “these are not the forest you know. The trees are treacherous and loyal to only one..."

She had known her uncle to embellish stories of local folklore, mocking the humans fears of the likes of her father and other creatures of the night. There was always a form of joy in his voice when he did this, yet this time it wasn’t there. Her uncle was unnerved and battle ready. The gentle golden hue of his eyes smoldered into the ruby red of a ancient hunter. Whatever was going on was bigger than a local warm welcome.

"never venture into the forest at night."

"Anjya?" she looked to see Till stare at her, finding herself dressed in her own modern clothes her fingers felts the wool of the scarf around her neck as a relived breath wafted the vapor from her lips. The brisk winter air was heavy with rain, rain that filled her lungs with fresh air as she looked to be surrounded by tall evergreen trees.

"Did you hear me?"

"Ah, no I'm sorry." she laughed nervously as they walked the trail through the seemingly empty park. it was a few acres of natural forest teaming with creeks and small rivers swollen by heavy rain and melting snow. This was one of Till's favorite places to be, away from the city and the stress of work. Often enough he would walk the trails at night taking advantage of the solitude to ease his mind and thoughts. for a long time, he wanted to bring Anjya with him, sensing her need to decompress. He could tell that it was bothering her to keep their relationship a secret. Seeing the pain in her eyes as she lied to her friends, family and coworkers all because he asked her to. There was a part of him that enjoyed having such sway over his woman and being the center of her world.

"Is my voice that boring?" He asked her, noticing the distant look in her eyes. It was a gaze that would show up out of nowhere, strong enough to pull her into another time and place.

"No never!" She stepped in front of the tall man and walked backwards along the trail, giving him a playful smile "I just have a lot on my mind."

"Oh?"

"You don't believe me?"

"Well..." Till stopped and leaned closer as if to look for lies on her face, pursing his lips as he examined her closely. “I’ve never been one to assume what a woman is thinking.”

“have you tried asking?”

Her eyes stared back at him, glinting with a hint of age he hadn’t noticed before. For a moment Anjya didn’t look like the young woman in her twenties. “if you ask a woman what she is thinking, there won’t be much mystery.”

“are you saying I haven’t asked?”

“no…” she paused for a moment and mirrored the look he had given her moments before, somehow feeling smaller despite the fact she had to look up to see him. “maybe those women weren’t being honest with you.”

Anjya saw the dilemma her words had brought him, second guessing if she was being too honest with him or letting off her true age. She could tell by his changing aura and heart beat that some old wounds had begun to open, even his eyes began to change into a darker hue.

“I may be new to this, but if you ask of me, I will always answer honestly.”

He was caught off guard by her sincerity. It wasn't the first time he had heard those words, as countless faces that all looked the same flooded into his mind.

“_you can trust me, I will never lie to you.”_

Their voices seemed to speak in unison as he stood in the darkness of his thoughts. He watched their painted lips tell him sweet-nothings, and for many years he seen their fake smiles that feigned the companionship he really wanted. Deep down, he expected Anjya to do the same. Despite how open and freeing she was, in the back of his mind he was waiting for her to slip up. Waiting for her to make the same mistakes that always ruined a relationship, to show her true colors or catch the poor girl in a lie.

“I will never lie to you.”

Not once did he expect those words to have meaning again. To have such innocent lips express her feelings honestly and without hesitation. To hear those same six words that brought him so much anxiety now be a source of healing he didn’t expect.

She had walked ahead of him, perhaps to give him the space that he needed. Anjya was in tune enough to know when to back away and let people think on their own. She wished she could be more honest with Till. She wanted to tell him the truth about her witchy ways and vampiric nature. She wanted to tell him the truth about herself. Anjya knew that it wouldn’t be long until their relationship would come to light, before she would have to explain to her family what was going on, least of all to explain to her father what she had done. Slowly and carefully, Anjya felt his arm wrap around her waist pulling her closer into his arms only to stop in the middle of the trail.

“what’s wrong?” she asked him. Feeling his chin rest softly atop her head. His cold fingers glided upon her warm cheeks tilting her eyes to meet his gaze. She was entranced by the soft slate grey of his eyes sinking into his embrace. Abruptly he kissed her. Deeply and teaming with passion his lips tasted the sweetness of Anjya’s affections. Squeezing her tightly in his grasp Till inhaled the winter rain mixed with her scent and wooly locks. For a moment nothing else mattered. In the silence of the wild nothing else seemed to exist; they were alone in their own world. But their intimacy was invaded, witness by a quiet stranger. They couldn’t hear the footsteps over the falling rain and spruce. His smell was masked by the mixture of the weather and pine sap. With camera in hand he aligned the lenses to capture the intimate moment, drawn to how timeless the couple seemed to be.

He was captivated by Anjya’s beauty, zooming in on her warm brown skin redden by the blush of her lover’s kiss. It was a perfect picture with the light shining on them at just the right time

_“it would be a waste not to take the picture…”_

He told himself instinctively taking a series of photos.

_“I can always ask them for permission before I go.”_

He told himself as he lowered the camera to get a good look at his work. He thought he was right to take the pictures, deeply admiring how photogenic the young woman was. Fawning over how genuine the emotion was, drawn into her eyes overflowing with fondness. With one look he knew that she was in love, bringing a jealous throb to his already beating heart. But as he scrolled through the rest of his pictures the feeling of jealously bloomed into horrifying excitement.

Quickly he tucked his camera away and rushed down the opposite end of the trial, careful not to bring any attention to himself.

“_oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!”_

He thought as he raced through the covert pictures finding the exact one that showed the lucky man’s face.

“_that’s Till Sandmann! The REAL Jager!” _the smile on his face spread into a gleeful grin while he gazed at his ill-gotten treasure. _“who knew he came to this park… this is amazing!” _the man was overcome with pride as he zoomed out of the photo to admire his work.

“I can't wait to post this.”

He hurried home and uploaded the series of pictures, clicking on every social media account from Facebook to twitter. Using every hashtag, and mention he knew as he titled his photo; and posted it without a second thought of the consequence he had just unleashed.

******************************************************************************

Maria was not happy. Her eyes stared daggers at Till as he remained calm and collected while Hugo and Peter stared at the infamous photos. Plastered on the overhead screen was a series of well taken pictures of Till and Anjya in the woods locked in an intimate kiss. It had over a million likes and still counting, as Maria scrolled through the comments, mostly about Till and who the mystery woman could be.

“they don’t know who Anjya is.”

“**for now**, they don’t know who she is.” Maria spoke with the irritation heavy in her voice as she leaned over the table, narrowing her gaze at him. “do you know what my job is Till?”

“Maria…”

“do you **know **what my job is?” she asked again. Watching as till held back his words and nodded his answer. “my job is to help you with your artistry the best was I can and protect not only your image, but the image of the other artist involved. I can’t do my job if you’re not honest with me.”

There was a hurt in her voice he hadn’t heard in years. Despite the anger that was boiling inside her, it quickly dissipated into disappointment. Maria had known of his attraction to Anjya, she didn’t think he would follow through with his desires for the young violinist. Overconfident of the hold Nina had over him she didn’t pay attention to what was going between the two. She had the good intentions of building a bridge between their creative worlds. She saw the benefit for both of their careers, the magic that Anjya had that Till needed. But what was done is done as Maria took out a cigarette and began to take a deep breath and immediately began to think of solutions.

“Dame Markova is not used to this world. She not like the other women you have dated and she certainly not like Nina… it’s only a matter of time before the paparazzi find out who she is and once that happens, we can expect a lot of trouble.” Maria went to work on her phone, her fingers typing away with accuracy as her eyes scanned the screen of her phone.

“we’ll take control of the narrative by putting the focus back on the music. First we’ll find the person who took the photo and make sure he doesn’t have more copies.” Maria looked at Till’s face as he stayed looking at the screen reading every comment on the picture. She saw the intense look on his face, the darkness of his eyes she had thought was only reserved for the live shows. In this Maria was relieved, at least this showed that he cared enough about Anjya to show a bit of anger.

“you don’t have to tell me everything. But tell me enough to do my job.” She patted his shoulder and motioned to his phone, as his eyes finally broke from the photo to look at the device. “talk to her and I’ll see you at the village.” She gave Till a reassuring smile before leaving the office, as the calm mask upon his face faltered into a cracked and rage-filled façade. A part of him could admit it was a beautiful photograph. It captured the light just right as it bounced off her brown skin and eyes. It was a voyeuristic image of Anjya he didn’t want to see, a point of view of someone else admiring her beauty that was his and his alone. He knew better than to read the comments on the photo knowing very well what most of the internet would say and how quickly it could turn for the worse.

“you’re making this harder than it has to be”

That familiar voice called from across the table. The visage of himself as the Tall Man was dressed in his long black clothes. Till could still feel the vertigo form their last encounter, seeing his younger self in a setting in what seemed like another world and place, yet was hauntingly familiar.

“Or are you a masochist for suffering?” The Tall Man gave Till a blank look, pulling the wooden box from his cloak and placing it on the table. “in time… you need to make a choice.” His aged and blacken fingers slide the chestnut box over to Till as his own hands hesitated to receive the gift. It was the same box form his dream, a vessel that gave him many sleepless nights and sensations of the unknown. He refused the Tall Man’s gift glaring at him for a moment before leaving the conference room and the illusion behind. The day didn’t seem to go any better as Till refused to drive home, opting to take the long walk back to his apartment. It didn’t matter to him that it was still raining or that he had left his coat behind. The cold of the rain water grounded him in the reality, it anchored him to what he could feel was real, resisting the need to reach out to Anjya least he dragged her into his madness. By the time he reached his apartment it was well into the evening hours. The look on his face gave notice for the doorman and other staff to leave him alone. Even the other residents of the building did best to give the man his space as he made his way to his only refuge. Anjya wasn’t there. He was surprised to see that she was gone noticing a well written note she had left behind on his study door. It was something she did when she couldn’t reach him on his phone:

“_I had to go pack for the trip up north. Be sure to get some rest and don’t forget to take your medicine. –Hessichen”_

He pressed the paper to his lips catching the faintness of her floral perfume, softly kissing the textured surface. What he would give to see her right now. He opened his study door and placed her note on the writing desk. With tired hands he began to peel off layers of his soaked clothes, tossing the drenched fabric to the corner of the room. trapped in the mundane of his routine Till caught a glimpse of something that wasn’t there before. He stepped back into the space of his study and cautiously turned on the light. Sitting upon the coffee table was the gift the Tall Man wanted to give him: the chestnut box from his dreams. His eyes darted at the details of the box stumbling in disbelief that such a thing was real. And yet here it was, manifested in his living space with all the dread that surrounded it.

_This can't be happening…” _ Till walked away from his study and stumbled into the kitchen. “this cant be real.” He fumbled with his medication looking at the labels for the right one, feeling the arms of a panic attack wrapping around him.

“_Anjya…”_

His fingers fumbled for his cell phone, clumsily pressing the screen to call her. The dial tone seemed to take longer to connect dragging the sensation fo his madness consuming him.

“_pick up, please pick up.”_

He prayed the longer the dial tone went, doing his best to keep his mind from thinking the worst.

“Hello?”

he heard her sweet voice clear as a bell, releasing the stagnant sigh from his chest. His heart beat calmed down hearing her gentle voice as the walls that seemed to close around him returned to normal.

“Till are you ok?”

He took a moment to catch his bearings, smiling at the sound of Anjya’s voice, light and unbothered. By the sound of it she wasn’t aware of the storm that was brewing on the internet, instead showing a hint of worry of not hearing from him all day.

“Yes, I’m ok. I just wanted to hear your beautiful voice… when are you coming home, I miss you already.”

“I miss you too, but we have to pack for the video shoot. The plane leaves tomorrow remember? And I can’t do that if your pinning me down all night.” Her voice danced with playfulness as he smiled at her cheeky delivery

“are you sure you’re ok Till?” Anjya asked in a more serious tone, listening as Till look a rather long time to answer her back.

“you needn’t worry about me.”

“but you worry about me… don’t tell me it’s a man’s pride.”

“but it is a man’s pride.” Till smiled at the hint of annoyance in Anjya’s voice. He could imagine her questioning look on her face, down to her folded arms over her ample chest calling out his outdated bull-shit. “As a man I am made to shoulder my worries and the worries of the woman I love. If I allow my woman to worry more than me, I cant call myself a man.” He could hear Anjya’s face softening to his words as a reluctant sigh graced his ears

“are you calling me your woman?”

She asked in a hushed but strong voice as the two of them lingered on the phone in uncomfortable silence the worry of the photo became present in Till’s mind.

“I’m glad you’re ok. Don’t forget to pack for winter.”

“Anjya I—” he knew what he wanted to say. It was only three words, three syllabus that would chase away the awkward moment between them. “I won’t forget. Sleep well Hessichen.” He heard the painful disappointment in Anjya’s voice. The strain of holding back her emotions ripped at him as he slowly put the phone down on the table. _“why didn’t I say it?” _he stared at his cell phone as the screen lingered on the contact picture for Anjya, catching her by surprise on one of their dates. He stared at her eyes glowing with the playful smile how the snow made her skin and aura brighter. He knew they were beyond the feelings of likability that there was something more between them. In all his experience he knew what love was and knew very well it was the truth of what he felt for the young woman.

_“This isn’t the time. I must focus on this project, I can’t be distracted with this….”_

He did his best to distract himself from his fumble and the box in his study. Taking all night to pack for the trip to the village of Straub Dorf. From time to time he would look at his phone tempted to call Anjya back to take back his mistake, knowing well enough that the pet names would lose their charm. Sitting in his study with cigar in hand, Till took in deep breaths to calm his thoughts staring at the wooden box on the table. For the rest of the night he did this, going through half the box of cigars before the pale light of the early morning broke him from his trance. Without missing a beat, Till dressed himself and bundled up for the winter, taking care to place on his thick tinted glasses and wool hat. He looked upon his study for the last time, looking at the wooden box as it sat in the same spot. He cursed at the package and locked the door to the room confident that it would be there when he returned home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> German phrases  
*Schlaf du ungezogenes Mädchen: You sleep naughty girl  
*Nein mein Jäger: no, my hunter
> 
> Chapter Notes:  
it was about time i posted this chapter as well, hopeful i was able to write this in a way for you (the reader) to understand where the plot is going. in this chapter, we get another glimpse into Anjya's past through a brief memory with her uncle and her feelings concerning the walk in the woods with Till. this is a chapter with a good amount of charm between the leads and shows their relationship as a healthy one compared to others. and introduces something that a lot of people are afraid to admit when they are in love with someone.... and the DRAMA that will happened when words go unspoken.


	15. Achtung

Hallo und Willkommen.

i figured it would be time to make an announcement about this story so that those who enjoy the story wont be left out of the loop. given the changed circumstances regarding school, work, familial obligations, too much research and convoluted plots of the narrative; i had to take a step back from this story.

that's not to say that the story is over, or that i have NO idea of where i wanted the narrative to go, rather that there is too much information for me to make a cohesive plot moving forward. on top of having my own insecurities about the story i wanted to tell, and the overthinking that comes with being a creator. kinda the downside of listening to the Rammstein Discography _for me at least. _

Needless to say, there will come a time where i will return to this story and see it through to the end.

in the mean time, please feel free to look at my other works as i do my best to make the best of this self-quarantine

Danke shone!


	16. Stille, die Totet

He stared at her all morning, expecting to be seated next to Anjya he didn’t anticipate that the seats had been prearranged. With Maria sitting next to Anjya as Till sat by himself closest to the window. She was asleep for at least an hour, curled up in her thick winter coat and blanket as she slept under his watchful eyes. He wanted to be next to her hoping that she would rest her head against him, wanting to be her comfort. But with one look from Maria, he knew he had to behave himself. He couldn’t afford to put her hard work to waste, she had spent a good portion of time and money correcting the narrative of those photos. For all the world knew, Anjya was no one special to him, and it had to remain that way. Though deep down it terrified him how easy it was for Maria to turn the conversation from who the rock-star was dating to the music with anticipation of new material. 

He was deeply grateful for this, as it gave him and Anjya their privacy. It didn’t bother him that this was the price he had to pay. A few weeks of separation was more than fair if it meant that Anjya would be safe and safely his. Yet, keeping his distance wouldn’t be as easy as he once hoped. He promised Maria as much, he had to keep up the appearance of being single and available. Till knew that his sex appeal did well to rile the emotions and sexual energy of his fans. He knew that he needed this to take the new music to the heights it needed to, and for his music to succeed his relationship needed pause. Looking over to her sleeping form, his eyes danced at the mounds and curves of Anjya’s body. Shapes he had seen many times in many ways somehow seemed more beautiful in this fleeting moment of quiet. He had taken for granted their intimate moments lamenting that he didn’t spend more time to savor them; that he had to withhold his desires to satisfy the masses.

In a little over two hours they had made it to the small airport in Gavony, the last fixture of modern society. It was a small, local airport that was no bigger than an outlet mall, with only 4 hangers for the planes and two runways. The biting cold forced them to hurry into the airport, with Maria irritated that the bus to shuttle them to the site wasn’t ready yet and Till next to her to calm her temper. However, amongst the chaos Anjya only smiled and turned her attention to the outside world. It marveled her how little her birthplace had changed, that this little, fragile fixture of modern society was the only barrier between her and the wild unknown. even this far from the village she could still see the tops of the Kurin Pass. Its jagged teeth prodding into the overcast sky, creeping towards the cold winter sun. if she closed her eyes, she could still recall with clarity her first time seeing Gavony: Where the horizon was a wild and unfamiliar place, cold and unwelcoming. Her feet could still feel the roughness of an unpaved roads, the inertia form weeks of traveling turning her young stomach and the silence of the vampiric guard that marched along side them. Feeling more like procession than a simple move to her Father’s Ancestral Home.

With a piecing touch and the sound of her name she opened her eyes into the present. Till’s hand was placed gingerly on her shoulder as she looked to his reflection. She hadn’t noticed before how tall her was, or how eerily he fit into the forest background as if the trees themselves were bending in submission to him.

“geht es dir gut, was schaust du dir an?” the concern was apparent, only disappearing when she sighed her relief and gave him a reassuring smile. But this smile wasn’t one that he had become used to seeing. It wasn’t filled with the warmth and optimism he was used to seeing from Anjya. There was apprehension and tension in her lips betraying the many thoughts that were going through her mind. A mind that was doing the balancing act of being at two places at once.

“I’m ok, just taking it in.”

“good, that’s good. It seems that the bus won’t be ready for another hour or so. If your hungry, now would be a good time to eat.”

She should commend him for how professional he sounded. Taking on the persona of a concerned team-mate and leader figure, rather than the torrid- and zealous lover she had come to know. he kept a socially acceptable distance from her, with the gentle façade of an teammate looking out for their newest member. But this teammate was perceptive and offered her a take-out box and a cup of hot tea. Once Anjya took hold of it, Till smiled once more and bid his good-bye, going back to his task of keeping the peace. With his winter eyes out of sight Anjya did well to carefully open the container. Her eyes went wide with surprise, only to soften into a gaze of appreciation. He must’ve known that she often forgets to eat her breakfast. Remembering that she prioritizes being on time more than anything, he went and got her a plate of her favorite breakfast food. she looked up from the container, with heartfelt eyes, seeing that Till was still busy with the fired Maria as she tore into the front desk Manager. Though she could hear exactly what she was saying Anjya knew better than to get involved, and went to find a quiet place to eat. With the airport being more like a ghost town, it wasn’t hard for her to find a place to sit down and recoup from the flight. Even though she had been alive for hundreds of years Anjya had only been on a plane a few times. Enough to count on one hand. Afterall she was a Dhampir: a mixed blooded vampire with a high capacity for magic. If she wanted to go anywhere in the world, she could always use her *Traveler’s Mirror and *gate-walked if she wished to. And if she was going short distances, she had no problem flying on her own. but flying in a machine made of thin metal and fragile parts terrified her. it confused her why humans wanted to be so high into the sky, so close to touching hands with god. Not even the dragoons of her House flew that close to the heavens only going high enough to blend into the pitch of night. And as the generation went on this unease with flying only worsened by witnessing the dogfights during the Great War. Anjya shook her head of these thoughts, not wanting to spoil her meal with the scent of burning flesh and the sound of gunfire. Instead other thoughts began to form as she ate her breakfast and enjoyed her tea, once again looking towards the wilderness before her.

_‘I wonder if father knows i'm here.” _She took a drink of the now lukewarm-warm tea, tapping her nail against the covered lid. _‘no, Father **knows **I’m here. He just hasn’t gotten to sending for me yet.”_

She placed down her tea and finished the rest of her breakfast, opting to save the rest for the bus ride into the village to help with her motion sickness. Till’s gesture still resonated in her mind, despite him putting on airs for the sake of the music he had still managed to show her consideration. He didn’t have to get her a breakfast, let alone one that had all her favorites. She couldn’t help the bright smile on her face, as she looked ahead to see that even Maria had calmed down.

_‘maybe these next few weeks won't be so bad afterall.’ _She slung her backpack over her shoulder, and with her tea in hand she made her way back to the group. _‘and when this is all over, we can go back to how things were…’ _her train of thought was cut short, as she was stopped mid stride stopping herself from being noticed. Standing next to Till and Maria was a woman she had never seen before. She was tall, and slender with white, peachy skin. her skin looked flawless and her hair a golden honey blonde, feathery and weightless. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful standing next to Till, too close for Anjya to be comfortable. Subconsciously Anjya, began to fade her presence. Her brown eyes began to turn a metallic sliver allowing her to see the unseen. Among the ghost and sprites that meandered about the airport, she noticed the auras that surrounded each person. She saw that Till and Maria’s were one in the same, a steady aura, with the stable blue color. Yet the woman that was with them had offset the balance. Her aura was wild and overflowing with a dangerous sexual energy. It exposed her true nature to Anjya, as she had a rotten core and ill intentions. Yet something else had caught her attention as she looked on, something that she had always sensed but never seen before. Sitting in the distance, not too far from the group was a distinct figure. It didn’t have the aura of a living person, nor did it have the essence of the dead of undying. It seemed to be simply existing in the Unseen World unassuming and harmless. Yet the longer she stared at it the more her instincts seemed to scream for her to run away. 

_‘He’s not bothering anyone…it’s probably nothing’ _ taking a deep breath, Anjya could feel herself returning to the present world, the visages of the undead and the Faye began to fade into the saturation of the living world, as her eyes returned to their natural brown hue, just in time for Till and Maria to notice her.

“Anjya there you are.” Maria flagged her over as she walked over to integrate with the group, getting a closer look at the outside-only beautiful woman. “this is Nina, she’ll be one of the models working with you for the video.” She could tell by Maria’s voice that she was doing her best to smooth over another unseen event. Perhaps worried that Anjya would be caught off guard by the sudden development. Yet to her and Till’s surprise, she appeared calm and civil standing in trained poise as she was introduced to Nina. There was no denying that the woman was beautiful. perhaps even a model, as her height and body would be perfect for displaying clothing as works of art. Her face was symmetrically pleasing with strong Nordic features, high cheekbones and full lips. yet, her eyes were cold and indifferent despite the warmth of their hazel hue.

“Good morning, I take it you had a good flight?” Anjya did well to be as polite as she could. Giving Nina a welcoming smile and offering a hand to shake. Only the latter snubbed her greeting and turned all her attention to Till.

“Till, how long until the bus gets here?” her voice was a silky alto, with her slender arms lacing with his own, pressing her bossoma against him. she was trying to get a rise out of Anjya and made it very clear that she did not like her. yet rather than give Nina what she wanted, Anjya took a long sip of her tea becoming immersed in the following conversation until the tension was saved by the driver who pulled up just in time. All the while Nina was glued to Till’s side refusing to let up, even when he was boarding she was not too far behind.

_I see…she must be one of his past lovers. _Anjya took her back-pack off, and rummaged around for her phone. Her mood turning when she realized there were several missed calls all from her Father’s house number. _‘I wish I had a past lover.’_ She blushed in frustration and took a seat closets by the window. With her headphones in placed she took the time to check her voicemails right as the bus was leaving the lonely airport. She could feel her heart beating in her throat as she anticipated the deep Saxon dialect of her father on the other end, no doubt ready to chastise her for not answering his calls.

_‘Please don’t let it be him…not now.’ _ She closed her eyes and prayed hard until the voicemail finally spoke.

‘Good Morning Sonnenblume.” Her worried vanished at the sound of the familiar voice. It was none other than her Uncle Sorin as a bright smile came across her face. “I hope you are doing well in the city, and that the area is treating you well. I just wanted to call to let you know I’m in town… and frankly so are you.”

She knew it. As she heard his words she grimaced at the truth of the Grimoire still being active at alerting who in the bloodline was closest home. Worse yet, if Uncle Sorin knew she was home than her father was also in the know.

“luckily for us, your father isn’t home. It seems he had some business to attend to in Berlin and won’t be back until next month. Regardless, you should call me as soon as you settled in. Seien Sie sicher Sonnenblume.”

She leaned back in her seat thankful that she just missed her father, and terrified at the thought that she didn’t inform him of her absence. She could feel the knot of worry knitting at her bow as she sunk into her seat and stared into the ceiling of the bus. With sleepy eyes, Anjya began to look outside the window, watching as the trees gave way to the mountains that creeped towards the winter sun.

_This is bad, why didn’t he tell me he was coming to Berlin… why is he always doing this?_

Form the corner of her eyes she could see that Maria was busy on her laptop, while Till and Nina seemed to be enjoying each others company. She watched as Nina laughed and conversed with Till so freely and with familiarity and how Till in turn didn’t seem to shoo her away. In the pit of her stomach she felt sick, feeling both the heat and cold of anger and frustration waging war on her body. She wasn’t sure what to make of her feelings though it was clear to anyone she and Till were together, there was the painful awareness that they never publicly claimed each other.

_Easy…you need to calm yourself… _she turned away from the PDA and opted to look out the window instead, watching the scenery zoom past her in a blur of cool greens, browns and blues. Just as they seemed to bleed into the window she could see the constant streams of rain falling down the window. It was one of those lonely, wet and cold winter days. The kind where no one wanted to do anything at all. On days like this she found it incredibly lonesome with her other family members asleep in their coffins, and the roads too tricky for the help to come by. As she sat in the east drawing room she occasionally glanced at the reanimated corpses and geist of their home. Watching as they went about doing the daily chores. Even her governess would be busy during these kind of days, helping her father with the book-keeping and any kind of organization needed in his many studies. This left Anjya to her own devices and virtually alone. Most days she would be content with staring out the window until it was tea time counting the raindrops as they fell. Yet mid count something strange had caught her attention. She heard her governess’s voice a half an hour early from the usual time and found her talking with a voice she didn’t recognize.

_“we have a visitor?” _her curiosity pulled her from the chair and towards the drawing room door as she peeked a glance outside. Indeed her governess was speaking to someone, given that she was wearing her full veil, he must have been a human.

“I’m sorry but I was not aware of you meeting my Master at this time.”

“it’s alright i'm sure he didn’t account for our tenacity.” Anjya had recognized that woman's voice, getting a sinking feeling in her chest with each word the woman spoke. “could you trouble him to see us. After all we have come a long way at his request.”

Anjya Hated women with that kind of voice, and she hated it more when they spoke to her Governess in such a way. “I will do my best, in the meantime please wait here in the drawing room.” Quickly Anjya looked for a book to busy herself with, just in time for the intrusive guest to enter. “Mistress are you here?” her governess opened the door to find the young woman reading by the window seemingly into the story

_I will be calm and greet them…they wont be here for long any way—_ “Mistress Markova. Are the fundamentals of the Lesser Keys so enthralling that you forgot the sound of my voice?”

“Ms. Leroux!” she immediately rose to her feet and curtsied to the older woman. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize what time it was…” her voice trailed off into silken as she laid eyes upon their intrusive guest. They were none other than Lady Katrina Von Roth and Lord Ulrich Von Roth. Though their interactions were brief from so long ago, she recognized their strange aura and Ulrich’s piercing stare as his crimson eyes once again were set on her. in the daylight she could see him more clearly. Etching into her mind the details of his long, stoic face, bed-room eyes and tall imposing frame hidden under layers of clothing.

“Well, well our Lady Markova has indeed bloomed into a beautiful Dame. Even if your father has dressed you in such…nostalgic clothing.” At once, she felt inferior by Lady Katrina’s back-handed compliment. Anjya was taken back by her stunning beauty, and more entranced by her modern style of dress it made sense that her Ladyship would pay a visit. Anjya would be foolish to think that she had come all this way just to see her, knowing very well who Lady Katrina wanted to see.

“as much as I enjoy the aesthetic of the dark ages, I doubt a young man would want to court a woman who dresses like their grandmother.” With a pleasant smile she motioned for Ulrich to open the chest that they had brought with them. Her porcelain fingers wrapped around the rich burgundy fabric of a custom made, modern dress as her painted lips curled into a smile. “but in this, not even the Emperor himself could deny you.”

Anjya could feel her heart bursting with joy, so much so that her hands were visibly shaking with anticipation, hesitating to touch the gift. “i-is this for me?” she hadn’t realize she asked the question out loud as s soft chortle vibrated from the depths of Ulrich’s throat.

“of course, it’s for you.” His smooth deep voice entranced her while his cold fingers wrapped around her smaller hand. “It has always been for you Anjya.” the sinister nature of his voice brought her back to the present. She was still resting in the recline of the seat as the rain drops streamed down the window glass. The pace of the bus had slowed down considerably due to the inclement weather and the dirt road they were on. Through the reflection of the window she caught a glimpse of Till talking with Maria on the other side of the aisle. They seemed to be deep in conversation about something imaging what he would be saying with that deep voice of his. Wondering what he could be thinking sitting next to Nina. She had thought about reaching into his head, and pondered daily if she should intrude on his thoughts. Regardless of her status as a Dhampir, she still possessed the same psychic abilities her family was known for. It would be child’s play for her to see what he was truly thinking and plant a mental seed or two in her favor. However, Anjya was not that kind of woman.in spite of his tolerance of Nina and her antics so far, she had no true reason to doubt him, despite the way the situation was making her feel.

_Maybe I’m thinking too much. _She thought to herself.

_Till hasn’t given me a reason to doubt him. it’s not like him to act impulsively I need to trust him just as I always have. _

She reached for her phone and checked for missed calls again, relieved that her father and uncle haven’t called since she landed, but dreading the visit she would inevitably have to make to the family home. But Anjya didn’t have the luxury to worry about that, she could feel the shift from dirt to cobblestone roads that they had already made it to Straub Dorf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> German Phrases:  
geht es dir gut, was schaust du dir an: are you ok, what are you looking at?
> 
> Lore terms:  
Traveler’s Mirror: a kind of scrying mirror that allows the owner to travel from place to place in their own plane.  
Gates: constructs that allow any number of people to travel from one place to another this includes but not limited to time, space, or parallel universe  
gate-walking: a person that uses a gate to travel from place to place. this is more stressful on the body than the Traveler's Mirror and only skilled, and wealthy practitioners use gates.
> 
> i did it!  
i have finally got around to writing the new chapter for the story (yay) a few of the silver linings of this COVID-19 shut down of society. needless to say, i have finally gotten the point of where i want the plot to go so stay tuned ya'll this is going to be good


	17. Trotzdem ist die Nacht für das unruhige Herz.

She was surprised at how little the village had changed, she hadn’t laid eyes on it in almost three hundred years; countless generations have come and gone, and yet people were content with living their simple lives. Lives that were being disrupted by their eccentric music video project. Yet, as they traveled deep into the village, she couldn’t help but notice their indifference towards the group of outsiders. For all Anjya knew, they could be happy for the sudden boom of work and at least a month of economic stimulation.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Maria asked, with her nose finally out of her emails and phone. “I had to admit, I was skeptical of Hugo when he mentioned this place. But seeing it for myself, Straub Dorf certainly has that other-worldly charm to it.”

“it certainly does. It hasn’t changed a bit since last time.”

“last time?”

“didn’t you know? Straub Dorf isn’t that far from my Ancestral Home.”

“Ancestral… I thought you were from Saxony.”

“I was born in Saxony, but my father is from Gavony and Straub Dorf was one of the villages under my Family’s dominion.” Anjya was careful with her word as she explained her family ties to the village. Making it seem like she was the latest generation of a long line of nobility rather than being the immortal daughter of a vampiric bloodline. “but that was before World War One, after the war the people demanded to be released from their surf ship. My great-great grandfather obliged, but was still kind enough to offer whatever aid he could.”

Maira was enthralled in Anjya’s story. Having no idea that her ties to nobility was this deeply rooted she was embarrassed to have never asked the young woman about where she was or about her family, content to assume that she was a Berliner that came from new money like everyone else that called themselves, Lord or Dame. “I’m sorry i didn't mean to overwhelm you with my family history.”

“not at all… I’m sorry for not asking you sooner. Now that I think about, I don’t think I ever taken the time to ask anything about your personal life. And that’s not like me” Anjya looked at the older woman, confused at the sudden depth of her words and the ashamed look on her face.

“if you want, I’d be more than happy to share with you anything you want to know” Anjya returned to her the warm and reassuring smile she was known for. “you’re not the only one that’s in the dark.” Once more, Anjya found her gaze shifting to Till and Nina, watching the woman trace her fingers around the width of his burly arms, pulling herself even closer to his inner space. Even as the bus stopped in front of the local inn, Nina remained glued to Till’s hip and constantly under him, pulling his attention away from Anjya any chance she got.

“well, I can tell what kind of shoot this is going to be.” Maria bitterly spoke as she watched the dynamic between the two along with Anjya. It concerned her how calm the young woman was taking this, knowing that if the shoe was on the other foot, she would’ve been in the middle of a cat fight, trying to pull Nina off the poor girl. but after hearing a small snippet of her family history she could understand her restraint. Anjya was a noble lady, a Dame of the House Markov with the weight of her family name on her shoulders. She wasn’t raised to stoop to Nina’s level and antics. She had more to lose than face if she to return her actions bit by bit. Yet, despite her pedigree, Anjya was still a woman. She had the same feelings as any young woman her age would, especially if she had given her heart for a man like Till. “I wouldn’t put too much thought into it. Till isn’t the kind of man to suffer fools.” Maria had hopped her words would comfort Anjya, finding it hard to read her guarded smile.

“you may be right Ms. Maria. I should have more faith in him.” despite the trusting look in her face Maria could clearly see the pain in her eyes, as Anjya collected her room key and left her in the lobby.

_‘what is wrong with me?’_

Her feet felt weighed down, almost sinking into the floor while she trudged her way to her room. locking the door behind her as she let her bags fall to her feet with a heavy thud.

_‘Why did my words feel so empty. It’s not like i'm lying to myself… I should have more faith in him, right?’_

She kicked off her shoes and sunk into her bed, not bothering to shower or even change her clothes from her travels. Anjya laid a top the surface of the bed, smelling the scent of pine form the winter air that dried the sheets as she could almost taste the ice form the snowflakes that danced in the wind. _‘who is that woman…why did she have to be here? Aren’t I the female lead… am I not enough?”_

The thought echoed in her mind, with other doark thoughts soon to follow. Doubt and uncertainty began to fill her head with negative emotions as she sunk deeper and deeper into the covers of her bed. She did her best to keep her imagination from dwelling on the aspects of Nina and Tills past relationship. Wondering if he had also taken Nina to his home for a first date, is she too was easily seduced into her primal needs for male companionship. She could feel her throat shaking, the heat of tears welling in her eyes threatening to stain her face with tangible anger.

_‘no.. I shouldn’t think that this. It doesn’t matter who he was with in his past…even if she’s back now, that shouldn’t change anything between us..” _she wiped the tears from her eyes, and sat up to look for her phone. ‘_I should text Till and let him know I’m ok.’_ She paced within the four walls of her room texting out what she wanted to say to him, from getting her breakfast in the morning to her anticipation of their first day of shooting. Somehow, it made her feel better to be able to talk to him finding a comfort and a sense of normalcy in their relationship. Yet, as she went to press send she paused at hearing the sound of his voice with Nina. By chance, Anjya had paused right by her inn room door. The incredibly thin walls and her excellent hearing could hear their conversation as clear as day. The rustling of their clothes against each other complemented the desperation in Nina’s voice.

“come on Tilly-Boy, why are you acting this way? Are you worried about Little Anjya?” she could hear Nina’s every word as it danced in the silence of the hallway. “I’m surprised at you, I never thought you cared what a nameless co-star thought of you. But judging by the look in your eyes, I can tell that you missed me.” It made Anjya sick with anger how sultry her voice was, her blood seething at the notion that such a woman would be so arrogant. Anjya had half a mind to skin her alive, and leaving her half living corpse for the carrion to pick off slowly. With the sound of the door unlocking, opening and closing to the horrid woman’s laughter in an instant Anjya’s trust was snuffed. For what seemed like an eternity she stood in the middle of her room clutching the phone in her hand. Her mind was blank, content to simply watch her body move on its own as she placed on her winter coat, hat, scarf and gloves and quietly left the inn. By now the rain had subsided into a quiet snowfall. Delicate snowflakes dances and flowed in the quiet wind Anjya’s only companion as she walked aimlessly around the village. _‘what’s wrong with me?’_

Finally her feet stopped moving, placing her upon a small bridge that rest over a river towards the far end of the village. the gentle sound of the rushing water did well to calm her thoughts as she looked at her reflection rippling in the water.

‘_Why do I care so much about what he does, when he never even claimed me to anyone. No one knew that were together, I kept our relationship a secret, and **this **is what I get for it…this is the reward for my affections?’_

She leaned against the stone railing cradling her face in her hands, covering her eyes to take deep breaths and hiding the tears slipping from her eyes. _‘all this time, I should’ve known that I was the fool…I’m only the means to an end.’ _There was no way for her to stop the dark thoughts in her mind. All of her frustrations and emotional anguish bubbled up the surface as her quiet wailing was muffled by her thick woolen gloves _‘why.. why am I even here?’_

“because your favorite uncle missed you.”

She knew that voice. The voice of calm that soothed the dark thoughts in her head, a voice that brought with it the stillness of a quiet night, resilient and gentle. It was her Uncle Sorin. As his towering frame stood behind her she continued to cry on the side of the bridge. Even form the distance of their ancestral home, he could hear her sadness threatening to consume her and the vulnerable state of her mind. It broke his heart to see his niece in such pain, to hear those awful thoughts in her head as loudly as he did, made the pain even worse. Yet he knew better than to pry into a fragile mind, finding it paramount to comfort his upset niece. his skin and sterile white hair illuminated under the light of the moon as he relinquished his coat, wrapping it over her. “Die Kälte ist kein Ort, an dem du allein sein kannst, let me help you back to the inn—” “no!”

He was caught off guard by her outcry as she tightly gripped his arm with a shaking hand. Her once brown eyes peered at her uncle in s bright silver glow, helpless and filled with her tears.

“please, can we just go home?” She was shaking like a leaf in his arms with her quiet sobs filling the empty space around them. It had been centuries since he had last seen her cry, and even longer since she was so vulnerable to him.

“of course we can go home Anni. but you need to tell me what’s going on, it’s not like you to be this upset.” She said nothing as he placed his arm around her as they walked from the village and further into the neighboring forest. With a wave of his hands, he removed the illusion that was hiding his car as his familiar was there to receive him. the familiar graciously greeted it master and Anjya and without question helped them into the car, as they began the drive home. Anjya was surprised at how well the familiar looked. How similar he appeared to her governess, in both intelligence and durability. As she looked into the *revenant’s intense blue eyes and skeletal face, she could see her governess looking back at her. she imagined her long white hair tied into neat and proper hairstyles that complemented with her cool grey skin. those piercing ice blue eyes that scolded Anjya whenever she was causing trouble yet comforted her when she needed it the most. She was a tall and elegant creature, an undead that transcended the known laws of necromancy becoming a class all on her own.

“do you miss her?” Sorin’s ember eyes caught Anjya deep in thought.

“…sometimes.” Her voice was hoarse from all the crying she had done in the open air. Depleted of her normal songful and upbeat disposition he didn’t like the sorrow and hurt resonating from her. “if she was here, I probably wouldn’t be in this mess.” The screen of her phone began to glow deep in her coat pocket, unable to feel the vibration through the layers of clothes.

_She’s still not picking up._

His stayed on the phone listening to the dial tone. Even when the call went to voice mail Till stayed on the phone. He had been calling her all night waiting until Nina finally left him alone.

_“come on Tilly-Boy, why are you acting this way? Are you worried about Little Anjya?” _ it made him sick hearing that seductive tone in her voice, loud enough for anyone and everyone to hear and certain that she did it on purpose _‘but judging by the look in your eye I can tell that you missed me.” _he shivered feeling her knee between his legs, glancing at the sinister glint in her gaze with her lips inched closer to his ear.

“What are you waiting for, I’ve been gone for so long… don’t tell me you’re not pent up.” Her lips curled, grinning for ear to ear while she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, further applying pressure to his sex.

“I knew it… you like that homely little Negro.” She looked him deep in the eyes nose to nose her painted lips hovered over his own, aching for a kiss.

“if you want, you can imagine her while your fucking me.” She leaned in to kiss him hoping to feel his lips once more. However, she felt an overwhelming pain in her arms, as his burly hands gripped her, and pushed her away from his body.

“what the hell is wrong with you?” she yelped loudly trying to get away from him, only for his grip to grow tighter. She could feel her muscles pressing against her bones, constricting them in discomfort as she began to sweat from the stress of pain. Nina needed to escape, overflowing with a primal fear she couldn’t explain. Her body shivered in absolute fear while her skin became clammy and cold. A sinking, sick feeling rolled in her stomach as she looked into his eyes. Eyes that were once a calm winter grey, stared at her with the coldness of a killer and red with hatred.

“T-Till?” her voice trembled before him, growing smaller with each step he took towards her, truly fearful of the man that loomed over her.

“**leave**” the pressure form his voice alone rendered Nina silent as her lower instinct forced her in place before she could muster the courage to run away in tears. His anger knew no limit, the disgust was beyond measure. Her words sickened him; her lustful scent fed his rage. Till was no longer in control of his body. Trapped within his own mind he watched as his body shook uncontrollably storming into his room and ripping the clothes off his body.

_“that woman…” _he snarled pacing back and forth doing his best to control himself. ‘_that **vile bitch. ** How dare she show her face to me!” _Till’s body was wracked with pain fighting the urge to destroy everything around him. he had never felt this kind of ire before, never this degree of pure anger.

_‘because of her… because of her, I lost everything. My vessel, my future…my Vögelchen.” _

Till surroundings had changed to the lavish settings of that gilded bed-room now in shambles. Judging from the blood on the floor and the numbness in his chest the knight with white hair had made good on his word and left him for dead. Till was still conscious trying to pry the enchanted sword from its root in his body. Blocking the pain, from the blade sinking into his fingers, he gripped and pulled at the blade making slow but meaningful progress.

“my love...” her sickening sweet voice lulled his gaze from his current predicament, as he laid eyes on Katrina very much alive and well. “I warned you this would happen my love. Did you not heed my words?”

His eyes could not believe what he was seeing as Katrina was the spitting image of Nina with black hair and dressed in sixteenth century clothes. His throat burned from the exposure of his flesh and vocal organs, his black blood spewed and spilled with every stressed breath.

“of course, I can’t really blame you. I knew you weren’t smart enough to use my _death _to its advantage. You were always too emotional for your own good…” Till felt the despair growing inside him, unable to voice his raging thoughts, helpless to watch the woman he had loved so deeply pace about the room calmly collecting her valuables and trinkets as if he wasn’t even there.

“though I must admit, Lord Markov was more ruthless than I anticipated. I underestimated his love for that abomination of a daughter, for that I am sorry.” With her things secure Katrina graciously walked over to Till as he hung on the wall locking her cold and indifferent eyes with his own that looked upon her with hate.

“don’t look at me like that my love, you only have yourself to blame.” She leaned close to him, nose to nose. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, their lips inches away from a kiss, her scent that he once couldn’t live without roiled in his sense as venom. “I told you that if you did what I told you to, your desires would be fulfilled. I never said for how long…or with me” Her lips parted into a sinister, twisted smile planting one more kiss upon Till.

“such is the life of a complacent romantic—” with one hand she plunged the sword deeper into the stone, rendering all his work useless as he was now an immobile fixture. “always doomed to fail”

Her words echoed in his mind longer than they should have fading into the recesses of his mind until the setting returned to the inn where he was staying. He flexed his fingers to make sure he was still in control, looking at the messed he made and would eventually have to clean up. The phone was still in his hand with Anjya’s name on the screen, showing the several missed calls he had made to her. he traced his thumb over the call icon, debating whether or not he wanted to call her again, yet as he pulled the phone to his ear something strange caught his eye. Cautiously he placed down his phone and walked over to his overturned suitcase a horrified looked coming over his face as he eyes laid upon the cherry-wood present box he thought he left at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, were certainly getting some insights in this chapter. I figured it was time to introduce some of Anjya's family, who knew vampires could be so understanding and tender? nonetheless, i'm glad Anjya was able to let out her frustrations and show more vulnerability. it can be stressful keeping things to yourself, especially when you have a support system to help you out of the darkness. now the stage is set to see how our main characters can make it out of Straub Dorf in one piece.


	18. Heimkehr

Anjya was surprised at how much her old home hadn’t changed, with almost every single detail the same as it was hundreds of years ago. The nostalgia was overwhelming to say the least, seeing the ghosts of her former life replaying right before her eyes. She walked through the foyer and down the hall. Corridors that once seemed to loom over her as prison walls had became frail and unimposing.

“not what you expected?” her uncle joked as he offered to take his coat back only for her to hold on to it even tighter. For a moment he was surprised by this glimpse of regressed behavior seeing the little girl she used to be for one fleeting moment of insecurity. He gently patted her on the head just as he would when she was a little girl, his fingers gently combing through the coils of her wooly hair. He could see her eyes welling with tears once more, the ach in his heart overwhelmed at the idea that something could be hurting his niece so deeply. “Komm, lass uns dich warm machen.”

She said nothing and fallowed him to the kitchen, as the antiquity of the 17th century blended with the advances of technology. The old wood burning stoves and ovens were replaced by gas-powered, and electric appliances for every culinary purpose.

“It took a while, but I finally convinced the old man to update the place.” His voice carried over while he filled a kettle with water and set it to boil. Moving about the kitchen with ease, he plucked the honey and loose blends of blood infused black tea from the cupboard and placed them on the table where she was sitting. “it’s a shame, the one time you are here he has business elsewhere.”

“what else is new?” Her uncle picked up the subtle bite in her voice. His ember eyes looked up to her not even attempting to correct herself as she always did.

“…what did you mean by _if she was still here you wouldn’t be in this mess_?” he casually opened the tea box and began to fill a tea pot with the mixture. “it’s not like you to be this consumed by your emotions… has someone wronged you?” His voice was calm, concerned and gentle. Though he was stating his observations, there was no condensation in his tone while he patiently waited for Anjya’s answer.

“it’s… a long story.” She watched her uncle pour the hot water from the kettle and into the tea pot for the leaves to seep. As he fetched two teacups from the pantry and placed one in front of her.

“Es ist eine lange Nacht.” With a smile on his face he poured the tea into each of there cups as they both sat in the kitchen with the latter listening to Anjya’s story. She wasn’t exaggerating when she said it was a long story as she confided everything to her uncle. yet, as she told him her story all he could feel was anger. He was angry that her talent and status was being exploited by a greedy record company, angry that she wasn’t going to be properly compensated for her hard work and angry that no one had bothered to check in on her in the first place. But what enraged him even more was Till. Form the hesitation she felt when telling him about how they met, to the way he courted her and all the events that lead up to him finding his niece crying by the side of the bridge. He felt a vitriol for Till that he hadn’t felt for a man in a very, very long time.

“…you must be disappointed in me. I let my emotions get the better of me… the Stoic Lady of House Markov crying over a man that never claimed her.” he hated how quiet her voice became. But he was relieved that those poisonous words were now in the open instead of eroding her mind.

“I would be a hypocrite if I was disappointed in you. In fact, I am proud of you.” His pale, clawed hands curled around the handle of the teapot as he poured Anjya another cup. “After all, _The Stoic Lady of House Markov_ is also human. I was worried that you had forgotten that.” He placed the teapot down and looked deeply into his niece’s eyes.

“I could never be disappointed in you for being who you are, for having the heart that you do and feeling everything within you. If anything, I am disappointed that we didn’t prepare you better.” His ember gaze looked at Anjya with the paternal warmth and understanding she remembered. Yet, as the new wave of tears fell down her face, she gave him a relieved smile the first real one he had seen all night. “I’m happy that you came home. I will send for your things in the morning.”

She nodded in agreement to her uncle’s suggestion finding no reason to protest, given that she was not sure of Nina and Till’s relationship to each other. It didn’t take long for her uncle to leave her to own thoughts, but not before kissing her brow and assuring her that everything was going to be ok. She watched his vanish into the darkness of the night silently wisp through the shadows until not a trace of him was left behind. It was then that she finally felt the vibrations of her cell-phone tremor loudly against the wooden chair. Quickly she pulled it form the depths of the pocket, overwhelmed that she had no many missed calls form both Maria and surprisingly Till.

For a while she stared at the screen, seeing the illusion of her former self quickly dialing back to return the call, eager to hear his voice speak sweet nothings on the other end. but that was before today. She scrolled past his missed calls, opting to call back Maria as the line rung on the other end.

“Anjya?!” Maria nearly screamed on the other end. “where have you been, I’ve been looking all over for you!”

“you were looking for me?”

“yes!” she heard the anxiety in Maria’s voice fade into relief. Surprised that the woman was even concerned about her. “when you didn’t come down for dinner I went to your room, and you weren’t there. I spent all night looking for you.”

“Just you?” Anjya asked, feeling a darkness lumping in her throat that was only intensified by the lingering silence on the other end.

“Till was… preoccupied.”

“I see, thank you Maria.” Anjya’s voice softened to Maria’s response. She was hoping that Till would be with Maria, that once he noticed that she was missing he would be out there to braved the elements to find her. the fantasy of feeling his arms wrap around her in that familiar comfort was broken leaving behind the empty reality. “I’ll be staying home for the duration of the video shoot. Let me know how much to reimburse you when it’s over.” Maria could hear the pain in her voice and didn’t have the heart the refuse her.

“of course…I’ll let Hugo know.”

“thank you, Good night Maria.” She turned off her phone and placed it on the side of the table she lost the desire to finish her tea, watching the blackened water swirl down the drain. Her mind was exhausted from everything she was dealing with a blank stare on her face, Anjya went through the motions. Washing the dishes and cleaning the loose tea from the delicate porcelain. Feeling the warm water run over her hands as if to clean her sadness away. She decided to hang her uncles coat in the kitchen wardrobe, reluctant to walk that long path to the foyer. Despite having been away from home in so long, she remembered the path to her old room as if she never left. Even finding the hidden key to her room, placed snugly around the neck piece of a suit of armor. The cold breeze of time brushed past her face, surprise and awe beamed in her eyes seeing that nothing in her chambers had changed. It had been hundreds of years; generations had come and went yet her room was just as untouched and pristine. She walked into the large space, taking in every detail that was once forgotten.

_“how long has it been?” _from corner to corner she illuminated the sitting room with the warm glow of candlelight. As she took a seat by the fire place she watched as the flames calmed into a steady burn while she sat by the fire, wearing her night gown and shawl. She couldn’t shake the events form the day before with the extravagant ball-gown propped upon her mannequin. She couldn’t help but stare at the work of art before her, mesmerized by the orange tint dancing along the crimson dye of the dress. The light flickered between the highlights and shadows between the seams and ruffles giving the garment an otherworldly feel to it as her thoughts lingered on that moment Lord Von Roth Held her hand. His smile was polite and his words gentle, however she sensed a unease about him as every inch of her being screamed danger.

“but I—“her Ladyship went through a lot of trouble to make this for you.” the soft tone of his voice was replaced with the sternness of his apathetic face, chastising her for her hesitance and attempting to force the dress upon her. “It would be rude to reject her kindness.” The gentlemanly hold he had tightened around her fingers as Anjya pulled her hand form his grasp. His once generous smile settled into an indifferent scowl, cradling the dress in his arms as she massaged her hand on guard and surprised by his actions. For a split moment she saw a flicker of madness in his gaze, an imposing and ancient darkness that deeply frightened her.

“jetzt, jetzt Bruder. Ist das eine Möglichkeit, unseren Gastgeber zu behandeln?” the sweetness of Katrina’s voice came out of nowhere. Dissipating the essence that had a second ago exposed itself. It was then that Anjya realized she was backed into a corner, confused as to when and how she managed to be entrapped by the imposing lord, and deeply grateful that Katrina was there.

“just look at her, your scaring the young Mistress…” She watched her creamy fingers laced within his arms in slow, comforting movements, using her natural charisma to subdue and put Lord Von Roth at ease as she lead him to the other side of the drawing room. for the first time Anjya felt jealous. She was envious of Lady Von Roth’s ease and charm, her fluidity in the way she interacted with their male counterparts. Despite how small she was compared to Lord Von Roth, it was clear that she had the most power in their relationship. A power that she wielded easily even in the presence of Anjya’s father whom despite his irritated disposition, did not send them away as he normally would. To her surprise he allowed them to stay for tea, and even accepted the gift on Anjya’s behalf.

_‘Lady Katrina… I wish I could be like her.’ _she walked up to the dress, running her fingers through the soft fabric. Imagining herself dressed in the daring outfit, adorned with the finest accessories and overflowing with confidence. ‘_I wish I could be that bewitching.’_

Soon the fire, quelled into the empty cold as the moonlight shined in its place. The mannequin and the gown was nowhere to be seen, replaced by the empty space of the present state. _‘now of all times…’ _she shook her head to free herself of her memories as Anjya left the sitting room to enter her bed chamber surprised that it had been updated from its previous decoration of her youth. The innocent colors and values that once gave her room a haunting glow of maidenhood, were replaced by warm and earthy tones better suited for an adult. She looked around her old room, eyes narrowed with suspicions as she sat upon her bed and looked around the new furnishings. Wondering if he somehow knew of her recent transition into womanhood or had the pure intentions of accepting her adulthood. Reguardless, Anjya could feel her head throbbing against her skull reaching the processing capacity. Without changing her clothes or evn bothering to take off her shoes, Anjya rested her head upon the cool surface of the pillows, and immediately drifted into a deep slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone! Ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen gut in diesen schweren Zeiten... and that wer are gettign a handle on all aspects of our health and being safe out there in the world. (wearign the proper PPE and of course washing our hands)
> 
> it took me a bit longer to write this chapter, seeing as i had a few plot point in the previous ones that i had to keep running back to. (i probally shoul've wrote them down..) regardless of the projects, exams and personal endeavors i have been doing i am still happy to post another chapter for your reading needs.
> 
> in this chapter "Homecoming." it is exactly that, Anjya comign home with her uncle and finally unloading everything she had been keeping secret for so long. that just like her ancestral home, she too had gone through some changes and has yet to witness if these changes are good or not. but more importantly, its ok to be emotional. to be in the moment and feel what you need to feel to move on and think clearly.
> 
> lastly, YES this is a short chapter. i said what i needed to for this part of the story. fingers crossed that the next chapters will be meaty enough to sink your mental fangs into. until then be safe out there guys. -- V.Nyx


	19. Ausfallen

This was a night where she didn’t dream. Her mind was restless with too much to process. With no fantasy of another world to greet her, Anjya found herself immersed in **Domovoy**. Everything around her was saturated in a haunting shade of blue, even the moon gave of a periwinkle tint within its silver glow. In this world, there was no sound, though she could feel the cold surface of the hardwood floor upon her feet. Anjya could hear nothing. Down the corridor, past the threshold of her home she walked into the open wilderness. With her feet bended the frozen blades of grass, she felt the cold sinking into her soles. A sharp pain that was quick to dull the longer she walked on the familiar path. Her breath visible as ribbons of white vapor vanishing into the night sky, she tightened the shawl over her shoulders as she looked behind her to see that her home was no longer visible, fully hidden by the forest.

_Mein armes Mädchen, die Wunde ist tief. (my poor girl, the wound is deep)_

She stopped, suddenly stricken by an unbearable pain in her legs. The intensity was too much for her as she collapsed to ground, her body refusing to go any further. She was shivering uncontrollably, her chest burning as if she had been running the whole time.

_“Wenn du so weiterläufst, wirst du die Nacht nicht durchhalten” (if you keep running like this you won’t make it through the night)._

She watched as the trees before her twist and bend into unnatural formations, reveling a well-lit path to an opulent castle. A warm presence wrapped around her body, flooding her with its comfort as the pain began to fade away. Strong hands lifted her from the darkness. A golden light blurred her vison to his face as cold fingers brushed the stray tresses from her face.

_Komm, ich werde dich besser machen. (come, I will make you better)_

The voice she heard shook her core. Its deep frequency pulled her into the depth of security, strong and sure. So sweet and gentle that she couldn’t hear the faint whisper of depravity behind it.

_ich werde für dich sorgen (I will take care of you)_

his words echoed from a faceless façade with the light of the morning sun chasing the darkness of the **Domovoy **away. She looked over her shoulder to the grandfather clock on the wall as it slowly ticked the 7th hour away. Slowly reaching for her phone, she unlocked the screen with nervous fingers, bracing herself for what Till had to say. Yet, there was nothing from him. his missed calls where no-where to be seen and her inbox was empty, say for a few messages from Maria. She took a few moments to read the messages, thankful that she had to do was go to a fitting. She took off her clothes and finally showered from the night before. While her hair was still wet, she brushed it back into a ponytail, pulling an over-sized sweater over her body and black tights under her dress. She opted to wear muted colors and the smallest earrings she could find. Wanting to look as plain as possible, feeling safe within what she thought were baggy clothes. The spaciousness of her ancestral home was amplified by the day light flooding into the halls and various room. though her uncle was aware of where she was going, Anjya was compelled to leave a note upon the Family Grimoire, knowing that he would see it after he awakens. She pulled on her winter boots and buttoned up her coat. Refusing to take the car into the village, she wanted to walk the paths she took when she was a child, back with the wilderness was a wild place. The grass and dirt roads were powered with snow and ice form the night before, glistening with brilliant life as the sun melted it away. She reveled in the brief moments of vibrant colors peeking between the clouds. Smelling the strong pine that permeated in the air hearing the isolating chirps of the **Collard-Doves** that refused to migrate. In moments like this she could enjoy the forest. With the sun chasing away the shadows she sighed with relief enjoying the serenity around her. she was Half-way to the village when she came upon a Mercedes Benz-S Class stuck in the mud and a slightly over dressed man frustrated over the phone. As she got closer to the site she could see the car was ill-equipped for the northern weather with the car thoroughly stuck in the mud. The man hissed and cursed at his phone tossing it through the open window as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration only to see Anjya standing by watching him. instantly, he was captivated by her presence as a warm golden light shone upon her from the overcast above. Yet in the back of his mind she looked familiar with the sensation growing stronger the longer he looked at her. but none of this compared to the juvenile embaressment he felt having such beautiful woman see him in such a state.

“ Do you need help?” her sweet voice finally answered his prayers. Like the notes of a harp her words reached him with gentle openness. An opportunity to work his charm.

“yeah, I was on my way to an important appointment and my car… got stuck. Now she won’t budge.”

“I wouldn’t either, you could lose your shoes in this mud.”

“true… are you local?” her bright smile and giggling words brighten his mood as the strange, familiar young woman seemed to become more comfortable with him.

“you could say that.” She brushed the stray tresses of her long hair from her face, youthful and dewy as the man soaked in her natural beauty. “I’m on my way to an appointment, if you like we can walk to the village together, im sure you can get better help there.”

He thought on it for a moment concerned if it was safe to leave such an expensive car in the middle of the road. Yet as he looked back to her patient stance and calm brown eyes his concern didn’t seem to matter, as he reached for his phone and began to walk with Anjya towards the village.

Standing upon the pedestal Till stared at himself in the mirror a tried and irritated man. For the past four hours he watched the transformation before him, stripping him of his identity for another persona to wear. As they measured and fitted the fabric, he could feel its cold hands sinking into his skin. taking over the space where the Tall Man once occupied, he could sense its influence draping over him as new skin over a flayed corpse. He had hoped that Hugo would reconsider the fantasy aesthetic for the GDR look he wanted, dreading the possibility of looking like an extra from Game of Thrones. But once Hugo explained his experience with seeing the ruined castle in the flesh, there was no dimming the light in his eyes. The most he could do was grin and bear it. The prodding, measuring and remeasuring of his entire body from the shaking hands of the resident seamstress did little to distract his present thoughts about Anjya. Both dread and elation swamped his mind as his fingers shook with anticipation. To him a night without her was torture, unable to sleep without any trace of her beside him. his worry and frustrations threatening to break through his well-crafted shell of unbothered machismo.

_‘where is she?’_

With quick glances he eyes the time on the clock as it read nine-thirty am. Overhearing Maria’s conversation he was ecstatic to hear that Nina was going on site and that he and Anjya would be measured today. this was a perfect opportunity to explain himself. To finally ease her worries that there was nothing between him and Nina. To tell her that he needed her. the old woman patted him on his back, their own little single for a break as he stepped down from the pedestal careful not to stick himself with the pins.

“it’s coming along nicely Hohes Gericht (_your honor_). Very regal.”

“it’s not finished yet.” He replied to Maria as she walked in with coffee for her and water for him per the rules the seamstress gave them. “if I wanted to wear a dress I would’ve brought my own.”

“A judges robe is not a dress Till, besides this could be your best costume yet.” Maria took a moment to photograph Till, sending the pictured of the costume design team before the old woman could return to scold her. But even in its unfinished form she felt that the outfit suited him well, glimpsing a darkness she had yet to see. There was a regality she had yet to see from Till and as she continued to gaze at his picture, she could understand why Hugo wanted to change aesthetics. As Maria stepped out of the shop, Anjya and the stranded man stepped in on the other side immersed in their own conversation.

“there’s no way you are Anjya.” The man’s voice rung with admiration and praise. “so, you’re the violinist I’ve heard so much about?”

“I’m sorry if I didn’t look the part” she apologized, nervously taking off her coat and folding it in her arms. Despite the larger size of her sweater, the man was able to glimpse the general shape of her body smiling his good fortune.

“I’m just surprised this is the first time meeting you.” he walked her into the shop finding it odd that there was no one to greet them from the record label. “we should meet up for a session I would love to see what you can do.”

“then it’s a date.” She spoke freely with a laughter in her voice that was genuine and sweet, her smile a fresh breath of honesty that conveyed the purest of intentions. In that moment Richard felt his heart flutter; quivering under the familiar pressure of instant attraction. An attraction that only grew deeper the longer they talked with each other, unaware of the unseen audience. He thought he heard her voice, his ears twitching at the familiar pitch of her perfect laugh. Closer, Till ventured to the storefront of the tailor shop careful not to muddle the old woman’s hard work. At last he would see her, his darling one. He would see her shining face in a halo of sunlight, warm tawny skin brimming with light. He would apologize to her and make it right. Whatever it took to gain her favor again. But as he pulled the curtain from the dressing room, whatever hope he had soon replaced by a bitter jealously as he watched her immersed in conversation with his fellow bandmate.

It was a spiteful jealousy that seemed into his blood and weighed like venom. It stung Till’s tongue to hold back his words watching Richard converse. Silently he observed their intimate moment watching how the latter’s eyes gazed at the young woman. How his calm blue eyes gazed at her with the same hunger and want that he did. The curl in his lips that mirrored the same wants for the pleasure her presence could offer him. as if looking at a two-way mirror he could see Richard as himself from months ago, plotting his best course of action to get what he wanted: to ultimately taste her naivety for himself.

_Anjya’s a good girl. she would never betray me._

The longer he watched the more he would tell himself. Chanting his mantra long after he ventured back in the dressing room.

_Least not for him. _

As the old woman took out the pins and marked where they were Till began to process of putting his clothes back on just as Maria retuned with Anjya following behind her having left her coat behind. She nervously tugged at the sleeves of her sweater avoiding any eye contact with a shirtless Till. “I’ll be a moment Anjya. I just need to go over some detail with Oma about your dress.” She recognized the deceit in Maria’s voice as her grip tightened on her sleeve dreading that she was leaving her alone with him in hope that they would _kiss and make up_. For a while they stood in each other presence silently waiting for the other to speak up first. Till kept himself occupied by redressing himself seemingly confident and unmoved. It was in these moments where Anjya felt the deepest insecurities, even with his back turned to her, he was a mountain of a man, overwhelming her with his unreachable summit.

“where were you last night?” he coldly asked.

“out…I wasn’t comfortable staying at the inn.”

“you didn’t call me to let me know?”

“I didn’t think it mattered—” “it **matters to me!**” he yelled at her sharply turning to face her with angry grey eyes. “it matters to me… I was so worried about you.”

“you were worried about me?” he could hear her voice softening just as it did whenever he said the right things. Soft and vulnerable he reached out to hold her as he always did, relishing in her warmth against his own. wrapping his arms around her supple body he cradled his head on her shoulder sighing his relief.

“of course, I was worried about you Hessienchen…I care about you too much.” He tightened his embrace certain that she would come around.

“…you care about me?” her voice was quiet, absent of the emotion he was familiar with as the space around them began to turn cold. “you spent all day ignoring me. You were cold to me… and gave your warmth to Nina. But you care about me?” she wasn’t sure where the edge in her came from. If it was a response form his manner of questioning or the obvious attempt to turn the situation on her. she pushed away from him, gradually prying his arms from around her, keeping Till at a distance.

“I…I don’t know if I believe you.”

“Anjya…” he took his time to think, choosing his words carefully and holding his frustrations at bay. “if it’s about Nina I promise you there is nothing between us.” he reached out to her again, with Anjya backing away from his reach.

“it’s not just about Nina…it’s everything. I don’t understand why you hide the truth from me” she was holding back her anger knowing very well that there could be gossip right around the corner. “saying you care for me, that there’s nothing between you and Nina. we both know that’s not the truth.” Her voice was cracking from the overwhelming sadness and hurt. She didn’t understand why he would go this route of keeping things secret not when she was being so open and honest with him.

“I love you Till, but if you can’t say it back then maybe we should— “we both know that’s not the truth? You talk as if you’re so fucking perfect.” His frankness took her by surprise, lost for words or any response. looking down to his hands she watched his fingers slowly curl into his palm regretting being left alone. But when he turned to look at her the sinking feeling in her gut returned as she looked to see the same ghostly figure standing right behind Till. Its fingers had latched onto him sinking deep under the skin watching as the wisps of smoke began to form muscle and skin.

“Kannst du mir in die Augen schauen und mir sagen, dass du keine Geheimnisse vor mir hast? (_can you look me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t have any secrets?_)

Petrified, she couldn’t say anything. transfixed on the entity feeding off him. however, Till misread her face, mistaking the horror as guilt. he could feel nothing but disappointment in that moment taking the silence for his answer.

“Till I—” “Women like **you** are all the same.”

Her voice trailed off as she looked him in the eyes. Eyes that were now absent of human emotion no longer the cool grey she was used to, what stared back at her was an empty black void. The entity vanished into smoke as he calmly gazed at her, backing Anjya into a corner. His fingers contacted her skin, trailing down her cheek and tracing the outline of her lips. A dark, dangerous aura permeated from Till an aura that made Anjya shiver with primordial fear as he fenced off any route of escape.

“_if you ask, I will always answer honestly. I will never lie to you.” _

Till repeated her words back to her. Pressing his thumb against her lips, forcefully and painfully rubbing against the soft skin until its pale pink hue turned red from the irritation.

“you’re not my first and you won’t be last. But feel free to think of me on those cold lonesome nights, when the next one can't satisfy you Dame Markova.” His smile was cruel. His words cold and a final parting gift. he backed away from Anjya leaving her alone to deal with the tension they created. he bid Maria and the Old woman goodbye before heading to the inn, acting as if nothing happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know... this chapter was short but man it was a lot to get through. i hope you all are ready for the next few chapters becasue i'm not.


	20. Zweite Welle

The old woman had managed to stick her for the third time. Feeling the heat of the prick on the surface of her skin, she would’ve jumped to fake a reaction. But Anjya didn’t move not once. Under Maria’s watchful eyes, Anjya did what she was told, not once moving from her spot. She could be happy for the progress if Anjya was herself. if she could smile or laugh or somehow be her charming self.

But there was no hiding the sadness written on her face. She had seen that look too many times and feared something happening too such a bright and innocent young woman. The silence was unnatural between the two women as they say alone in the dressing room, with the old woman finally finishing her work. The old woman began to take off the marked layers of fabric going through the ritual of last instructions and payment. They were lucky enough that most of the costumes were already finished, with the two female leads having their costumes made on site it made for easier repairs if things went wrong. Thought the issue with the costumes had been resolved, Maria couldn’t ignore the storm behind Anjya’s eyes. Noticing a look that was on the brink of tears with her mind far away from the present moment.

“before you go, the meet and greet will be tonight. It’s nothing fancy just the band and the actors getting to know each other before we start production” she didn’t know why she said that. Perhaps in a bid to comfort Anjya, or maybe to ease her fears of feeling like a show horse and going through the hassle of standing out too much. the young woman remained silent simply nodding as she wrapped her scarf around her head for the long walk home.

Maria wanted to ask her, she wanted to know what happened. Sensing that Till had said something hurtful or did something to Anjya. But to her frustrations, she couldn’t bring herself to ask, seeing the hurt in her wet eyes that spoke a truth louder than any words she could’ve used. All she could do was wish her safe travels and watch as she slowly vanished behind the horizon line, taking the sunlight with her.

he couldn’t get the taste out of his mouth. Thinking that the palate of his favorite cigarette would dull the bitter palate on his tongue. He smoked half the pack with no result. With the last cigarette sitting between his lips he watched the smoke float into the frigid winter sky. They had their arguments before, but this was different. he put his hands on her with an intention to hurt, he fixed his words to punish her. There was no curiosity about him to ponder if he did the right thing or taking back what he had said and done. Yet he couldn’t get rid of that vile flavor that lingered in his mouth or the uneasy feeling that he had set in motion some terrible consequence.

He found his words repeating back at him seeping with a vitriol he wasn’t aware of at the time. His thumb tingled feeling the delicate skin of her lips and teeth under his strong grip. he spoke his truth and did nothing wrong but that feeling wouldn’t go away. It followed him from the Tailor shop back to the inn. It sat with him when he smokes outside, it followed behind when he went upstairs. he met Nina at his door again his eyes scanning the length of her slender and toned body. Catching traces of makeup still left behind from the photoshoot he could still see her beauty for what it was, commercially High-fashion and safe. She said all the right words and did all the right things, pulling at his nostalgia. This time he didn’t ignore the seduction of her scent, indulging in the sweetness of her kiss and the primality of a quick fuck. His hands explored Nina’s with expert memory, forcefully stroking the spots that got her off the most. Pushing her neck down on the pillows, he pumped into her with a rawness never felt before. Nina howled and moaned with genuine pleasure, giving Till the reactions he always craved making him feel every ounce of power he always he had. He didn’t give her the satisfaction of filling her, instead spilling his seed all over her back looking down at Nina as she laid in sweat and semen. He didn’t feel the gratification he wanted nor did it bother him that she didn’t want to stay. This surprised Nina, who always had to make excuses for herself to leave and never known Till to turn away affection. But there was smile on her face, a grin of victory across her lips as she looked to see those indifferent grey eyes staring into space. He lingered in the hot waters of the shower, watching the murky water spiral down the drain. He could feel the ghost of Nina’s nails down his back and her breath on his skin, stinging and welting from the hot water. He dressed down as much as he could without looking sloppy, waiting at the bar with his hair still damp from the shower. It would be hours before the dinner was scheduled to start, but that didn’t stop him form sitting at the bar with a beer and a shot of cheap tequila. It burned down his throat, his lips twisting at the taste before chasing it with the cold beer.

“Bist du nicht zu alt, um vor dem Spiel zu spielen? (_aren’t you too old to pregame?_)

Form over his shoulder he watched as Richard came to greet him with a friendly smile and a hard pat on his back. He returned his gesture with a smiling nod, noting that Richard took more care to his appearance than he normally would. It didn’t take long for Richard to notice that something was amiss sensing that old demons had reared their ugly head again. He placed his hat on the bar top and sat next to Till ordering a drink as well. He took a sip and beer and continued to stare into space doing his best to ignore him, the latter thinking of something delicate to say. “wieder beunruhigt?” (_troubled again?_)

“is it that obvious?” he tapped the rim of his glass for another shot while Richard laughed nervously. Till held back his anger knowing very well that he was dressed to impress Anjya, bitterly taking a large drink of his beer.

“no one drinks tequila for fun…” he took a slow sip thinking about his words carefully. “is this a trouble you want to talk about?”

He shook his head no glancing at the door as a few of their co-workers began to show up for the event. The dining area was closed off for their event as the rest of the band and actors began to trickle in before the snow began. Some face he recognized from previous projects happily greeting them and reminding on shared stories and inside jokes. Occasionally, he would glance around checking the door and the time with no sign of Anjya anywhere. He even found his fingers subconsciously checking his phone. Awaiting the moment where he would see her name next to a few mixed texts or phone calls, hoping for a sign of her. slowly the venue began to fill up just as the snow began fall. Even Nina who was known to be late made it, dressed in an open backed red dress. She sauntered straight to Till ignoring the others and their greetings returning them with an arrogant huff and a proud glance. Richard looked away as she attached herself to Till after months apart and a rocky first night, she was sure that she lost him to a plain and homely looking woman. but it was a pleasant surprise when he welcomed her advances and gave her what she had been craving. Ecstatic that he didn’t grow soft by spending time with an industry nobody. it had been ages since she felt a genuine orgasm and she was in no mood to take it for granted again.

In her confidence she ran her hand down his back getting his attention form Richard, greeting Till with a warm kiss. This was the Till she fell in love with the aloof, unbothered man that didn’t care if they loved each other or not. they were both getting their needs met there was no reason for deeper interaction, and she was happy to have him back. 

“wieder Ärger…” Richard knew when to leave and left when he sensed her possessiveness. He had seen this two years ago at a cocktail party in Stuttgart, fresh from the hospital with a forlorn gaze in his eyes. It was an aura of longing that attracted the worse kind of person and he found that in Nina. A predator in a woman’s clothing on the hunt for new prey. It was growing late as the last rays of sunlight was swallowed by the approaching storm with Anjya still nowhere to be seen. Hugo had pulled Maria aside asking where Anjya was. She did her best to assure him she was coming. Understanding his worry when Anjya opted to stay so far away from the video site and the crew without an explanation. He was hoping that nothing had happened to damage her talent and looked to Maria to make it right. Yet the time had come, and they could no longer wait. Without Anjya, Hugo started his opening toast urging everyone to mingle and get to know each other. As the crowd dispersed Till looked at the dissatisfied look on Richard’s face as he politely made conversation with who ever was around him. he was surround by smiling younger faces of the truth that looked up to him a lighter version of the cloudy aspect of Tills personality. It was a fact he hated to admit even when the contrast was looking him in the face, despite his role as the front man, he wasn’t as personable as he should be. This was his project, his vision made real, and here he was sitting by the bar nursing alcohol with a siren on his shoulder happy to pour him more.

The air was so cold around him that he didn’t notice the sudden gust of an open door with Anjya walking in nervously. She shyly entered the party unaware of what was going on, already seeing small pockets of people interacting with each other, sharing stories and laughing. She felt out of place since she didn’t dress up for the occasion, feeling small in her simple get-up of a white oxford shirt and a long navy-blue skirt. Even her hair was brushed back into a low ponytail, once again going without much makeup. She noticed Till by the bar, feeling her heart sink when she watched him drink with Nina. Her fingers ran through his hair, while her lips moved with the annotation of a personal conversation. Even her eyes looked at Anjya, as if she knew that something had happened between Till and her. her hazel pools mocked Anjya, laughing at her as she had no choice but to move within the crowd, hoping that Till wouldn’t notice her. in a seas of strangers Anjya felt lost, for the first time feeling unease in a strange world. There was no one by her side, no Till to hold her hand and no Maria to guide her.

_What am I doing here? _she asked herself, finding a quiet spot by the wall.

_My role in this video is small… they really don’t need me. I’m not even going to be credited so why…_ Anjya felt herself falling into her thoughts, her body becoming one with the wall content to becoming a decoration to be ignored. _Why am I here? _She felt the tears building in her eyes with half a mind to leave all together until something warm brushed against her cheek. His hands were steady and warm carefully, cautiously offering her a handkerchief. He shielded her as she patted the tears from her eyes.

“Atme ein, es wird in Ordnung sein. (_take a breath it will be ok_)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phew... they are going through it. Anjya is a trooper but she has feelings too. Till is a strong man but he can be weak too. now lets see the consequences together.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all and welcome once again!
> 
> i missed writing stories and this one will be a tad bit different from my normal fare.  
for starters i'm taking German classes and i've been listening to Rammstien to help me out (you know...phonics) per-usual i had be struck by an idea of a sort of love story with an OC and the front Man Till Lindemann. 
> 
> now this is not a Till Lindemann FanFic, rather a character that is based off of face value and what i gathered from looking at his photos and likeness in videos. with little bits of trivia here and there, and a touch of supernatural shenanigans 
> 
> fist chapter and prologue Notes: Mich  
the prologue and the first chapter kinda take a quick look into the main lead and his two personas; and gives a taste of what has happened in media res. between the two characters before we step into the past and take a look in the life of the main male lead and his two personas: the Tall Man and der Jäger aka. The Hunter.
> 
> i didn't want to give too much away on what they dynamic between the three personalities are just yet, but enough to get a good look inside his mind and where he is mentally. hopefully with the second chapter i can introduce the female lead, and give this guy a proper name.


End file.
